Lukáš Olejník
The chapter 19 of Richard Taruskin's book titled Text and Act ,
Text and Act (identical title), is a concluding chapter of the fourth larger section of the book
that comprises the total number of four chapters under the larger title
Antiquarian Innocence.
The
main purpose of the chapter is to outline chronologically the progress of
events that throughout the history led to currently, as Taruskin seems to make
an impression, a rather disappointing
situation in which no one is able to appreciate classics anymore. The discussion of the chapter centers
around the four stages that, as he argues, progressively reinforced the final
outcome of our musical presence.
The
first such stage, according to Taruskin, is the stage of literacy. With the
emergence of textual literacy music started to have a physical appearance
independent of people who produced it and performed it. Its new ability to
persist and prevail by bearing its witness on a page of a mediating piece of a
physical substance such as parchment or paper was crucial for perception of
those who were to succeed its creators.
The
second stage is the stage of printing. With the invention of typography
distribution of music become much easier and cheaper. The new form of a printed
book, in fact quite different from a hand-written manuscript, found its way into libraries of private
collectors, supporters, and most importantly musicians themselves. The fact
that music took on an appearance of a physical object (item) had a positive
impact on the circulation of music.
The
third stage had to do with the temporary absorption of classics. The rise of
Romanticism brought upon a rapid increase in the popularity of art primarily
made for gazing. The prevalent utilitarian purpose of music making
characteristic to previous centuries was compromised and music ceased to be something that an average person did. Musicians became
creators and their music, being representative of a sovereign form of art, was interpreted as
a reflection of their personalities.
The
last of the four stages described in the Taruskin’s chapter is the stage of
recording. The beginning of
twentieth century marked the start of music’s commercialization associated
with technologies. The newly established recording industry fundamentally
changed or at least compromised the traditionally established relationship
dynamics between the performer and his audience. The initial intention of a
composer and performer to make music and have money placed in their hands in
exchange for a show has disappeared and has been replaced by selflessness
associated with the possibility of an indefinite number of „performances“ to
take place by means of a recording.
I
believe that it is not Taruskin’s purpose in this chapter to convey a negative
portrayal of the phenomena described above. It is beyond dispute, however, that
he tries to establish and defend a
view that the history and morality of music has taken a downfall over the
course of centuries.
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