Music abounds in twentieth- century Irish literature. Whether it be the "thought-tormented" music of Joyce's "The Dead", the folk tunes and opera that resound throughout Ulysses, or the four- part threnody in Beckett's Watt, it is clear that the influence of music on the written word in Ireland is deeply significant. Samuel Beckett arguably went further than any other writer in the incorporation of musical ideas into his work. Musical quotations inhabit his texts, and structural devices such as the da capo are metaphorically employed. Perhaps most striking is the erosion of explicit meaning in Beckett's later prose brought about through an extensive use of repetition, influenced by his reading of Schopenhauer's philosophy of music. Exploring this notion of "semantic fluidity", John McGrath discusses the ways in which Beckett utilised extreme repetition to create texts that operate and are received more like music. Beckett's writing has attracted the attention of numerous contemporary composers and an investigation into how this Beckettian "musicalized fiction" has been retranslated into contemporary music forms the second half of the book. Close analyses of the Beckett- inspired music of experimental composer Morton Feldman and the structured improvisations of avantjazz guitarist Scott Fields illustrate the cross- genre appeal of Beckett to musicians, but also demonstrate how repetition operates in diverse ways. Through the examination of the pivotal role of repetition in both music and literature of the twentieth century and beyond, John McGrath's book is a significant contribution to the field of Word and Music Studies.
- 178 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
Samuel Beckett, Repetition and Modern Music
About this book
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Information
Subtopic
MusicIndex
Page numbers in italic refer to figures in the text.
Abbate, Carolyn 48–9, 72
Abbott, Helen 22, 47
“abrash” 93, 94
abstraction 23, 138, 149
absurdity 72, 84n4
Adams, John 95
Adorno, Theodor 18–19, 23, 36, 70, 71, 90, 128
African American/black music 36, 40, 51n7
Agamben, Giorgio 129
Albright, Daniel 6, 7, 19, 22, 55, 72, 84
aleatoric methods 4–5, 130–1, 153; Beckett 84, 98, 125, 126, 127, 128, 145
alliteration 2, 46
AMM group 132
anadiplosis, rhetorical device 77, 79, 102, 105
analogy, musical 24, 29, 31
anaphora 2, 47, 48, 81, 133, 150
animation films 18
apophenia 43
Aristotle 30, 35, 152, 154
art, avant-garde 9, 12
art, modern 88, 151–2
art, Renaissance 9
Art Ensemble of Chicago 131
art installations 33, 34
art music 15, 16–17, 33, 37, 41, 132; Ireland 53, 54
arts, visual 7–8, 19, 151
Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) 131, 132
Attali, Jacques 35
“attributive screens” 26, 27, 28, 71
Auerbach, Erich 152
Austen, Jane 13
authenticity 35, 44; see also originality
authors...
Table of contents
- Cover
- Endorsement
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Table of contents
- List of figures
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Music and literature
- Repetition in music and literature
- Musico-literary interaction in modern Ireland and the musical aesthetic of Samuel Beckett
- Beckett’s semantic fluidity: Repetition in the later work
- Beckett and Feldman: Time, repetition and the liminal space
- Improvising Beckett: Chance, silence and repetition
- Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Index
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access Samuel Beckett, Repetition and Modern Music by John McGrath in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Music. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.