The Heroic in Music

This book explores the evolution of heroism in music from the Middle Ages to modern times, highlighting cultural and political influences. The Heroic in Music offers insightful case studies.

In The Heroic in Music, the author delves into the intricate socio-political history of heroism as expressed through music, spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day. The first section of the book examines how composers of medieval chant, Renaissance madrigals, and Baroque operas employed various musical strategies to convey heroic ideals that reflected their moral and political values. Through detailed case studies, readers gain insight into how these early works laid the groundwork for the representation of heroism in music.

The second part shifts focus to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, expanding the analysis beyond Beethoven's celebrated heroic middle period. It explores a diverse array of heroic positions, including national, ethnic, revolutionary, bourgeois, and spiritual themes. This exploration reveals how these concepts permeated not only large-scale classical symphonies and virtuoso performances but also chamber music and popular dance genres of the time.

The final sections of The Heroic in Music address the forced heroization of music under totalitarian regimes in the twentieth century, such as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, and the lasting effects on musical styles and heroic concepts. The concluding chapters highlight how contemporary rock, folk, and avant-garde musicians in North America and Europe are redefining heroism, showcasing figures like the everyday hero and the scientific heroine. This evolution reflects a renewed confidence in the notion of the heroic within modern music.