In praise of the unspectacular

The effort to universalize human history has ended with the pursuit of the spectacular to enliven human understanding.
That observation is key to understanding l'affaire Sokolov and much else. It comes from Earle H. Waugh's Memory, Music and Religion, a book that also sparked my post 'Music and memory'.

The full title of Earle H. Waugh's book is Memory, Music, and Religion: Morocco's Mystical Chanters, and the photo was taken by me in Morocco close to the shrine of the Sufi saint Sidi Ali Ifni. Any other copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use" for critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). No review samples used. Also on Facebook and Twitter.

Comments

Recent popular posts

Travels beyond TripAdvisor

XL - On An Overgrown Path

I am not a Classic FM housewife

Audio perfectionists are an almost extinct breed

Leaders destroy followers and followers destroy leaders

Why composer anniversaries do not win new audiences

Classical music has many Buddhist tendencies

Storm clouds gather over Aldeburgh

Is classical music asking the right questions?

Gerontius - that is a sublime masterpiece