Description
History of Music Theory
Book Summary
In this fundamental essay, Abbot Juan Andrés (1740-1817) draws a clear line between music understood as art and acoustics as a science, granting each its proper place among the natural sciences. His entirely modern conception crystallizes a critical moment in the history of musical thought. The reader will find a work that not only describes the evolution of musical theory but also establishes the foundations for understanding music as an autonomous discipline, separate from the physical phenomena of sound.
What is it about?
The book addresses the historical evolution of musical theory from a perspective that was innovative for its time. Andrés clearly differentiates two realms: music as an art, centered on composition, harmony, and expression; and acoustics as a natural science, which studies the physical properties of sound. Throughout its pages, the author analyzes how this distinction has been ignored or confused throughout history, proposing a reorganization of musical knowledge that anticipates contemporary approaches. The work examines the main theoretical currents and their representatives, showing how music has been understood from both art and science.
Main themes
- Distinction between music as art and acoustics as a natural science
- History of European musical thought up to the 18th century
- Critique of the historical confusion between musical theory and the physics of sound
- Autonomy of the musical discipline from the natural sciences
- Juan Andrés's contribution to modern musicology
Who is it recommended for?
This essay is aimed at students and professionals of musicology, historians of science, philosophers interested in musical aesthetics, and music lovers with a background in the field who wish to understand the theoretical foundations that separate musical art from acoustic physics. It will also be of interest to researchers studying Spanish Enlightenment thought and its international reach.
What this book offers
- A pioneering perspective on the autonomy of musical theory from the natural sciences
- Conceptual clarification of fundamental terms for musicology
- Access to a key text of Spanish Enlightenment thought, little known outside academic circles
- A critical analysis of the historical evolution of musical ideas
- Tools for rethinking the relationship between art and science in a musical context
Technical specifications
- Author: Juan Andrés
- Publisher: Casimiro Libros
- Language: French
- Subject: Music
- Collection: Casimiro en Francés
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: March 2018
- Number of pages: 96
- Weight: 75 g
Editorial review
This French edition of Histoire de la théorie de la musique recovers a fundamental text by Abbot Juan Andrés, a key figure of the Spanish Enlightenment. His proposal to radically separate music as art from acoustics as science remains surprisingly relevant and offers a solid foundation for any serious study on music theory. It is a brief but dense work, ideal for readers seeking a rigorous and conceptual approach, far removed from popular manuals. Its value lies as much in its historical content as in the validity of its epistemological approach.