Colorful Humanistic History · The History of Music

Author: [British] John Baily
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-09
Features: This music history book, which is rich in images, employs a wealth of emotional elements to succinctly yet thoroughly narrate the origins and evolution of Western music (with a focus on classical music) – its roots in the Mesopotamian region of the East, its "sanctification" process from vulgar to educational, its "rebirth" evolution from court to folk, and the reasons why it ultimately became the mainstream musical model for humanity. The creative careers and fates of the series of influential figures who determined the course of musical development are vividly highlighted within the interconnected temporal and spatial coordinates of the book, including Middle Eastern traditions, Jewish chants, Christian hymns, secular ballads, Renaissance new tunes, Baroque forms, classical movements, and the New Romantic trend.
Before people began to discuss how music came into being, music had already emerged. Some even believe that music was born before human language – when primitive humans shouted to dispel the fear brought by nature, when they danced around their prey while singing and accompanying themselves, and when they chanted cooperative slogans during labor. But what matters is not how music actually originated, but how it became almost omnipresent in human life as an influential force. Beyond its pure functions of appreciation and entertainment, music has demonstrated powerful utility in production, education, religion, war, medicine, sports, commerce, rituals, communication, and self-cultivation. Its development has ultimately led to the fact that understanding music and mastering musical knowledge (naturally including musical history) have become the foundation for entering mainstream society.