Musica Poetica: Musical-Rhetorical Figures in German Baroque Music by Dietrich BartelReview by: David YearsleyNotes, Second Series, Vol. 55, No. 2 (Dec., 1998), pp. 383-384Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/900187 .

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Book Reviews Book Reviews

subject, many music-related computer pro- grams, and several repositories of encoded music materials.

Beyond MIDI is a valuable reference text for anyone dealing with the theory or prac- tice of encoding music data. Many systems -commercial, experimental, defunct, and just created-are presented, often in great detail. Because much of the book is highly technical, presenting the details of code im-

subject, many music-related computer pro- grams, and several repositories of encoded music materials.

Beyond MIDI is a valuable reference text for anyone dealing with the theory or prac- tice of encoding music data. Many systems -commercial, experimental, defunct, and just created-are presented, often in great detail. Because much of the book is highly technical, presenting the details of code im-

plementations, Beyond MIDI is not for the casual reader, although the chapters at the beginning and end may interest a more general audience. Aside from the one main weakness mentioned above, Beyond MIDI provides a terrific resource for those in- terested in the topic.

DOUGLAS IRVING REPETTO Dartmouth College

plementations, Beyond MIDI is not for the casual reader, although the chapters at the beginning and end may interest a more general audience. Aside from the one main weakness mentioned above, Beyond MIDI provides a terrific resource for those in- terested in the topic.

DOUGLAS IRVING REPETTO Dartmouth College

SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES

Musica Poetica: Musical-Rhetorical

Figures in German Baroque Music.

By Dietrich Bartel. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1997. [xv, 471 p. ISBN 0-8032-1276-3. $50.]

This substantial book, an expanded ver- sion of the author's Handbuch der musikal- ischen Figurenlehre (Laaber: Laaber-Verlag, 1985), follows a long tradition in music the- ory of producing compendia of knowledge taken from previous writers. An impressive work of collation and comparison, Musica Poetica can be seen as a continuation, for example, of that very eighteenth-century encyclopedic enterprise of Johann Gott- fried Walther, who, in his Musikalisches Lex- icon of 1732, collected a large number of definitions of rhetorical figures, many of them culled from prior sources.

Bartel's study is meant to function not only as a sourcebook of rhetorical figures in German music theory-with alphabeti- cally arranged definitions assembled from treatises spanning the period from Joachim Burmeister's own Musica Poetica of 1606 to Johann Nikolaus Forkel's Allgemeine Ge- schichte der Musik of 1788, and contextu- alized with entries from the writings of Quintilian and later German rhetoricians -but also as a historical interpretation of their "development" across the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

As the author makes clear in his intro- duction, his is a terminological study that presents the various theorists' definitions without the "strained associations or mis- construed conclusions" (p. ix) imposed on them by writers such as Hans-Heinrich Un- ger and Arnold Schering, who attempted to establish a unified system of baroque

Musica Poetica: Musical-Rhetorical

Figures in German Baroque Music.

By Dietrich Bartel. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1997. [xv, 471 p. ISBN 0-8032-1276-3. $50.]

This substantial book, an expanded ver- sion of the author's Handbuch der musikal- ischen Figurenlehre (Laaber: Laaber-Verlag, 1985), follows a long tradition in music the- ory of producing compendia of knowledge taken from previous writers. An impressive work of collation and comparison, Musica Poetica can be seen as a continuation, for example, of that very eighteenth-century encyclopedic enterprise of Johann Gott- fried Walther, who, in his Musikalisches Lex- icon of 1732, collected a large number of definitions of rhetorical figures, many of them culled from prior sources.

Bartel's study is meant to function not only as a sourcebook of rhetorical figures in German music theory-with alphabeti- cally arranged definitions assembled from treatises spanning the period from Joachim Burmeister's own Musica Poetica of 1606 to Johann Nikolaus Forkel's Allgemeine Ge- schichte der Musik of 1788, and contextu- alized with entries from the writings of Quintilian and later German rhetoricians -but also as a historical interpretation of their "development" across the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

As the author makes clear in his intro- duction, his is a terminological study that presents the various theorists' definitions without the "strained associations or mis- construed conclusions" (p. ix) imposed on them by writers such as Hans-Heinrich Un- ger and Arnold Schering, who attempted to establish a unified system of baroque

Figurenlehre in spite of the complexities and contradictions found among the original sources. And while Bartel is certainly not the first to argue strongly against global- izing accounts of musical-rhetorical figures, his assemblage of definitions and transla- tions-with the originals alongside-offers a panorama of the range of meanings that attend rhetorical terms as they were adopted by German theorists. Bartel's translations are the most valuable part of the book and will prove useful for anyone interested in that uniquely German phe- nomenon of analyzing and understanding music through rhetorical figures.

It is as a work of historical interpretation, however, that the book founders, for the introductory material and commentary glosses on the definitions are debilitated not only by excessive and intrusive repe- tition, but also by an often "strained" and "misconstrued" historiography. This is a curiously antiquated, even defunct, mode of historical writing in which the word "au- thentic" appears without post-Taruskin scare quotes or any reference to the au- thenticity debate (p. 1); where both the Re- naissance and baroque have their inevitable "dawns" (pp. 18-19); the Enlightenment alternately "emerge[s]" (p. 24) and "en- croach[es]" (p. 56); and the "way" is "pre- par[ed]" for Empfindsamkeit (p. 27). The au- thorial voice is generally passive, deferring to the historical agency of eras, ages, and zeitgeists, as, for example, when Bartel de- scribes changing views of music in the eigh- teenth century as having been wrought by a "[zeitgeist] which sought to determine aesthetic principles on the basis of empir- ically discerned personal experience" (p. 25).

Figurenlehre in spite of the complexities and contradictions found among the original sources. And while Bartel is certainly not the first to argue strongly against global- izing accounts of musical-rhetorical figures, his assemblage of definitions and transla- tions-with the originals alongside-offers a panorama of the range of meanings that attend rhetorical terms as they were adopted by German theorists. Bartel's translations are the most valuable part of the book and will prove useful for anyone interested in that uniquely German phe- nomenon of analyzing and understanding music through rhetorical figures.

It is as a work of historical interpretation, however, that the book founders, for the introductory material and commentary glosses on the definitions are debilitated not only by excessive and intrusive repe- tition, but also by an often "strained" and "misconstrued" historiography. This is a curiously antiquated, even defunct, mode of historical writing in which the word "au- thentic" appears without post-Taruskin scare quotes or any reference to the au- thenticity debate (p. 1); where both the Re- naissance and baroque have their inevitable "dawns" (pp. 18-19); the Enlightenment alternately "emerge[s]" (p. 24) and "en- croach[es]" (p. 56); and the "way" is "pre- par[ed]" for Empfindsamkeit (p. 27). The au- thorial voice is generally passive, deferring to the historical agency of eras, ages, and zeitgeists, as, for example, when Bartel de- scribes changing views of music in the eigh- teenth century as having been wrought by a "[zeitgeist] which sought to determine aesthetic principles on the basis of empir- ically discerned personal experience" (p. 25).

383 383

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NOTES, December 1998 NOTES, December 1998

Throughout the book, interpretive ges- tures are laden with unwieldy and unnu- anced concepts of historical epochs and de- velopment; consider, for example, another of Bartel's takes on the eighteenth century: "Objectivity gave way to subjectivity, math- ematics to nature, science to expression, and the Baroque to the Enlightenment" (p. 27). Some degree of generalization is of course necessary in a book that is meant not only as a reference tool but as an intro- duction for students of German baroque music; but it is the definitions of the figures that, in their specificity, prove much more useful than Bartel's sweeping statements and are distorted by them.

Bartel posits the "development" of rhe- torical figures from their initial role as con- cepts used for the analysis of unconven- tional musical procedures, to their use for depicting and encouraging certain emo- tional states, to their ultimate abandonment in favor of an "'enlightened' [aesthetic] of individualistic and subjective musical ex- pression" (p. x). Various theorists are then brought in to do service in one or another of these historical categories. Thus, For- kel's writings on musical-rhetorical figures are "indicative of his Enlightenment, even romantic aesthetic" (p. 240), a passage that not only miscasts Forkel's views, but indi- cates that Bartel's epochs and their asso- ciated aesthetics are unstable, unclear, and often misleading.

There are bibliographical lapses as well. To mention but one example, Bartel fails to cite Benito Rivera's excellent translation of Burmeister's three treatises (Musical Po- etics [New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993]), including his Musica Poetica-an im- portant source for those interested in mu- sical rhetoric.

Aside from an ill-conceived dispositio that encourages continual reiteration of ideas and phrases (we are told in similar, often identical language that Christoph Bern- hard relates his rhetorical figures to the proper use of dissonance on pages 168, 192,213,231,269,293,301,311, 317,353, 357, 398, 417, and 433), Musica Poetica is a poorly edited book, plagued by the kind of repetition that allows Forkel to be hailed as the "founder of modern musicology" on page 157 and "the first modern musicol- ogist" on the following page. Were this vol- ume half as long, it would feel much more

Throughout the book, interpretive ges- tures are laden with unwieldy and unnu- anced concepts of historical epochs and de- velopment; consider, for example, another of Bartel's takes on the eighteenth century: "Objectivity gave way to subjectivity, math- ematics to nature, science to expression, and the Baroque to the Enlightenment" (p. 27). Some degree of generalization is of course necessary in a book that is meant not only as a reference tool but as an intro- duction for students of German baroque music; but it is the definitions of the figures that, in their specificity, prove much more useful than Bartel's sweeping statements and are distorted by them.

Bartel posits the "development" of rhe- torical figures from their initial role as con- cepts used for the analysis of unconven- tional musical procedures, to their use for depicting and encouraging certain emo- tional states, to their ultimate abandonment in favor of an "'enlightened' [aesthetic] of individualistic and subjective musical ex- pression" (p. x). Various theorists are then brought in to do service in one or another of these historical categories. Thus, For- kel's writings on musical-rhetorical figures are "indicative of his Enlightenment, even romantic aesthetic" (p. 240), a passage that not only miscasts Forkel's views, but indi- cates that Bartel's epochs and their asso- ciated aesthetics are unstable, unclear, and often misleading.

There are bibliographical lapses as well. To mention but one example, Bartel fails to cite Benito Rivera's excellent translation of Burmeister's three treatises (Musical Po- etics [New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993]), including his Musica Poetica-an im- portant source for those interested in mu- sical rhetoric.

Aside from an ill-conceived dispositio that encourages continual reiteration of ideas and phrases (we are told in similar, often identical language that Christoph Bern- hard relates his rhetorical figures to the proper use of dissonance on pages 168, 192,213,231,269,293,301,311, 317,353, 357, 398, 417, and 433), Musica Poetica is a poorly edited book, plagued by the kind of repetition that allows Forkel to be hailed as the "founder of modern musicology" on page 157 and "the first modern musicol- ogist" on the following page. Were this vol- ume half as long, it would feel much more

substantial; cleansed of its troubling his- toriography, it would allow Bartel's real contribution to be duly appreciated.

DAVID YEARSLEY Cornell University

Towards a History of the Spanish Vil- lancico. By Paul R. Laird. (Detroit Studies in Musicology; Studies in Mu- sic, 19.) Warren, Mich.: Harmonie Park Press, 1997. [xix, 233 p. ISBN 0-89990-075-5. $35.]

The use of the villancico ... was an im- portant part of Spanish religious life by the time theorist Pedro Cerone pub- lished his El melopeo y el maestro in 1613. The genre, and its descendent the Span- ish cantata, remained a constant expec- tation of church musicians throughout the Spanish Empire during the following two centuries. When one considers the size of the Spanish Empire, it becomes clear that the villancico was one of the most pervasive genres, sacred or secular, in Western music. (p. 51)

With this disarmingly frank statement, Paul Laird begins his discussion of the siglo de oro of the villancico (chap. 2). What may be lost on the reader who is not a specialist in Spanish or Latin American music is the stunning realization of what such state- ments mean for the traditional construc- tion of European music history. As Laird explains, our telling of music history has almost completely omitted this genre that was a primary musical element in the lives of millions of citizens of Spain and its co- lonial territories. He surmises that the vil- lancico was perhaps the most often heard genre in the Western cultural sphere be- tween 1640 and 1800. With the daunting task of filling such a huge lacuna, Laird wastes little time with the prejudices and ignorance that have brought about this sit- uation.

Laird modestly titles his book Towards a History of the genre because he considers it a preliminary step in rewriting our ac- cumulated "accepted" wisdom; this is wise in that the book is so full of names of com- posers, compositional approaches for par- ticular kinds of villancicos, and masses of

substantial; cleansed of its troubling his- toriography, it would allow Bartel's real contribution to be duly appreciated.

DAVID YEARSLEY Cornell University

Towards a History of the Spanish Vil- lancico. By Paul R. Laird. (Detroit Studies in Musicology; Studies in Mu- sic, 19.) Warren, Mich.: Harmonie Park Press, 1997. [xix, 233 p. ISBN 0-89990-075-5. $35.]

The use of the villancico ... was an im- portant part of Spanish religious life by the time theorist Pedro Cerone pub- lished his El melopeo y el maestro in 1613. The genre, and its descendent the Span- ish cantata, remained a constant expec- tation of church musicians throughout the Spanish Empire during the following two centuries. When one considers the size of the Spanish Empire, it becomes clear that the villancico was one of the most pervasive genres, sacred or secular, in Western music. (p. 51)

With this disarmingly frank statement, Paul Laird begins his discussion of the siglo de oro of the villancico (chap. 2). What may be lost on the reader who is not a specialist in Spanish or Latin American music is the stunning realization of what such state- ments mean for the traditional construc- tion of European music history. As Laird explains, our telling of music history has almost completely omitted this genre that was a primary musical element in the lives of millions of citizens of Spain and its co- lonial territories. He surmises that the vil- lancico was perhaps the most often heard genre in the Western cultural sphere be- tween 1640 and 1800. With the daunting task of filling such a huge lacuna, Laird wastes little time with the prejudices and ignorance that have brought about this sit- uation.

Laird modestly titles his book Towards a History of the genre because he considers it a preliminary step in rewriting our ac- cumulated "accepted" wisdom; this is wise in that the book is so full of names of com- posers, compositional approaches for par- ticular kinds of villancicos, and masses of

384 384

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