Consciousness, Literature and the Arts
Archive
Volume 14 Number 3, December 2013
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Music in German philosophy: an introduction. Edited by Stefan Lorenz Sorgner and Oliver Furbeth, translated by Susan H. Gillespie, with a preface by H. James Birx and with an Introduction to the English-language edition by Michael Spitzer. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. xliii, 265 pp. ISBN 978-0-226-76838-0 (softcover).
Reviewed by
Valparaiso University
The long, drawn-out list of editors, contributors, and translator given above provides some indication of the importance and scope of the English language edition and translation of Musik in der deutschen Philosophie. Eine Einfurhung (Stuttgart: J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung and Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag, 2003). It is apparent from the amount of prefatory, introductory, and tranlator's note materials that this book arrives with great anticipation and expectation within the field of musicology. The author of the English language introduction does a fantastic job of placing this book translation within the current climate of Anglo-American musicology, providing both quick and substantive summaries of the ten German philosophers and their theories and thoughts on music. He does this four times (p. xix, xxvi, xxvii-xxix, and xxix-xli), and his bibliography bridges the gap between the original book (2003) and the English translation (2010). In fact, each of the prefatory chapters (Foreword, Preface, Translator's Note, and Introduction) frames and documents the importance of this book within contemporary musicology and Anglo-American musicology in particular, while at the same time providing numerous thoughts on the particulars of each philosophy as it relates to music.
The book is a detailed account of the major German philosophers who have discussed and focused upon music as an integral part of their philosophies. These philosophers are: Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), Friedrich D.E. Schleiermacher (1768-1834), G.W.F. Hegel (1770-1831), Friedrich W.J. Schelling (1775-1854), Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), Ernst Bloch (1885-1977), Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900-2002), and Theodor W. Adorno (1903-1969). Each essay on these individuals begins with a short biography, and then moves concentrically from an outline of their philosophy in general, to their philosophy of art, and then homing in on their philosophy of music.
Music occupies a unique and vital role in the philosophies of each of these individuals; it is not just an important object, but constitutes the very nature of philosophy, from their viewpoints. The short summary of each philosophy is given on p. xix. The problems of translating the unique language of philosophy and music from German into English has been superbly accomplished by Susan H. Gillespie, who discusses some of the challenges and issues related to translation of philosophical and musicological idioms and phrases in her Translator's Note, as does Michael Spitzer in this Introduction (p. xxv-xxvii).
This book is essential reading for any musicologist to understand the fascinating interaction between philosophy and music in German thought. Ranging from naturalism to idealism, the musings of these ten German giants of philosophy on the importance and role of music in humans and humanity are concisely and uniquely represented here both in the essays themselves and in the prefatory materials. It is apparent that this tome will become a handbook for referencing and researching the basic tenets and frameworks of each of these philosophers and their philosophies in relation to music.