Table Of ContentThe Mediations of Music
Adorno believed that a circular relationship was established between immediacy
and mediation. Shouldwe now say that this model with its clear Hegelian influ-
ence is outdated? Or does it need some theoretical integration? This volume
addressesthesequestionsbycoveringtheperformanceofmusic,itstechnological
reproductionanditsmodesofcommunication–inparticular,pedagogyanddis-
semination through the media. Each of the book’s four parts deal with different
aspectsofthemediationprocess.Thecontributingauthorsoutlinetheproblematic
momentsinAdorno’sreasoningbutalsohighlightitspotential.Inmanychapters
the pole of immediacy is explicitly brought into play, its different manifestations
often proving to be fundamental for the understanding of mediation processes.
TheprimereferencesourcesareAdorno’sCurrentofMusic,TowardsaTheoryof
MusicalReproductionandComposingfortheFilms.Criticalreadingsofthesetexts
aresupplementedbyreflectionsonperformancestudies,mediatheories,sociology
oflistening,post-structuralismandothercontiguousresearchfields.
GianmarioBorioisprofessorofMusicologyattheUniversityofPaviaanddirector
oftheInstituteofMusicattheFondazioneGiorgioCini,Venice.In1999hewas
awardedtheDentMedalbytheRoyalMusicalAssociation.In2013hewasDis-
tinguished Visiting Professor at The Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in
America.Since2013hehasbeenmemberoftheAcademiaEuropaea,since2016
corresponding member of the American Musicological Society, and since 2019
correspondingfellowoftheBritishAcademy.Heisthedirectorofthebookseries
Musical Cultures of the Twentieth Century (Routledge) and the online-journal
ArchivalNotes.Hispublicationsdealwithseveralaspectsofthemusicofthe20th
century(theoryandaesthetics,politicalbackground,theaudiovisualexperience),
withthehistoryofmusicalconceptsandthetheoryofmusicalform.
Musical Cultures of the Twentieth Century
Series Editor:
Gianmario Borio, University of Pavia and Giorgio Cini Foundation, Italy
Editorial Board:
Robert Adlington, University of Huddersfield, UK
Esteban Buch, EHESS, Paris, France
Mark Delaere, University of Leuven, Belgium
Giovanni Giuriati, Università Roma La Sapienza, Italy
Iwona Lindstedt (University of Warsaw)
Wolfgang Rathert, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
Britta Sweers, Universityof Bern, Switzerland
The series Musical Cultures of the Twentieth Century adopts a collaborative
model for the studyof key issues in twentieth-century music. The basis for each
volumeisaconferencedrawingtogetherleadingscholarsfromacrossEuropeand
beyond; conference themes are determined by the series’ distinguished interna-
tional advisory board, with a view to developing new knowledge and under-
standing that reflects dialogue between scholars of different nationalities and
theoretical backgrounds. Particular emphasis is placed upon recognition of the
multiplicityofconceptions,artefacts,eventsandcommunitieswhichcharacterised
musicallifeinthelastcentury.Accordingly,individualvolumesseektointerrogate
themesthatencompassdiversemusicalgenresanddisciplinaryperspectives.
The serieswas conceived as a project of the Institute of Music of the Giorgio
Cini Foundation, Venice, where manyof the conferences are convened.
Finding Democracy in Music
Edited by Robert Adlington and Esteban Buch
The Female Voice in the Twentieth Century: Material, Symbolic and Aesthetic
Dimensions
Edited by Serena Facci and Michela Garda
The Mediations of Music: Critical Approaches after Adorno
Edited by Gianmario Borio
Noise as a Constructive Element in Music: Theoretical and Music-Analytical
Perspectives
Edited by Mark Delaere
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/music/
series/MUSCULT
The Mediations of Music
Critical Approaches after Adorno
Edited by
Gianmario Borio
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Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Contributors viii
Preface xii
1 Popular Culture and Post-Traditional Arts: Debates and
Controversies During Adorno’s Exile in the USA 1
GIANMARIOBORIO
PARTI
The Dynamics of Musical Mediation 21
2 The Logic of Judgement-less Synthesis: Theodor W. Adorno on
Vermittlung and the Language of Music 23
DIETERMERSCH
3 Beyond Mediation 38
ESTEBANBUCH
4 Media, Mediation and ‘Bildung’ in Adorno’s Current of Music 57
MICHELAGARDA
PARTII
Notation and Performance 73
5 ‘Every written note is the image of abeat’: Rethinking Adorno’s
Critique of Notation 75
ANDREASMEYER
6 Towards a Practice of Musical Performance Creativity 88
DANIELLEECH-WILKINSON
vi Contents
7 Exploring the Text-Performance Continuum in Music:
Reflections on Immediate Mediation 104
ALESSANDROCECCHI
PARTIII
Music on Screen 123
8 Instrumentalizing Music for the Movies: Comedy, Portability,
Labor, Critique 125
LYDIAGOEHR
9 Composing for the Films in the Age of Digital Media 144
JAMESBUHLER
PARTIV
Recorded Sound in Changing Environments 163
10 Adorno and Jazz: A Dialogue with the Philosopher from an
Audiotactile Perspective 165
VINCENZOCAPORALETTI
11 Adorno, the Jitterbug and the Becoming Insect of Music 185
MAKISSOLOMOS
Index 199
Figures
5.1 Carl Johann Arnold, Quartettabend bei Bettine von Arnim (ca
1854/56). 80
5.2 Tom Waits, Franks Wild Years (1987), cover illustration. 81
5.3 Constellations defining ‘interpretation’ and ‘performance’. 82
5.4 John Cage, Concert for Piano and Orchestra (1957–58), Solo for
Piano, notation AH. 84
11.1 Dancing the jitterbug, Los Angeles, 1939. 187
11.2 Anton Webern, Symphony, Op. 21, first movement (‘Ruhig
schreitend’), first part: four-part reduction. 191
11.3 Jana Winderen, The Listener. 195
Contributors
Gianmario Borio is professor of Musicology at the University of Pavia and
director of the Institute of Music at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice.
In1999hewasawardedtheDentMedalbytheRoyalMusicalAssociation.In
2013 he was Distinguished Visiting Professor at The Italian Academy for
Advanced StudiesinAmerica.Since2013hehasbeenmemberoftheAcade-
mia Europaea, since 2016 corresponding memberof the American Musicolo-
gicalSociety,andsince2019correspondingfellowoftheBritishAcademy.He
is the director of the book series Musical Cultures of the Twentieth Century
(Routledge, London) and the online-journal Archival Notes. His publications
dealwithseveralaspectsofthemusicofthe20thcentury(theoryandaesthetics,
political background, the audiovisual experience), with the history of musical
conceptsandthetheoryofmusicalform.
Esteban BuchisprofessorattheÉcoledesHautes ÉtudesenSciences Sociales
(EHESS) in Paris. A specialist in the relationships between music and pol-
iticsinthe20thcentury,heistheauthorofTrauermarsch.L’OrchestredeParis
dans l’Argentine de la dictature (Paris, Editions du Seuil, 2016), L’Affaire
Bomarzo.Opéra,perversionetdictature(Paris,Editionsdel’EHESS,2011),Le
cas Schönberg. Naissance de l’avant-garde musicale (Paris, Gallimard, 2006),
and Beethoven’s Ninth: A Political History (Chicago, The University of Chi-
cago Press, 2003), among other books. He co-edited Finding Democracy in
Music(Routledge,2021),ComposingfortheState:MusicinTwentiethCentury
Dictatorships(Routledge,2016),Du politique en analysemusicale(Vrin,2013)
andTangoscultos(GourmetMusical,2012).
James Buhler teaches Music and Film Sound in the Sarah and Ernest Butler
SchoolofMusicattheUniversityofTexasatAustin.Hisresearchinterests
include the history and theory of the soundtrack, the aesthetics and philo-
sophy of virtual instruments, and critical theory. He is author of Theories
of the Soundtrack (Oxford University Press, 2019) and, together with
David Neumeyer, Hearing the Movies (2015), now in its second edition.
Along with David Neumeyer and Caryl Flinn, Buhler edited Music and
Cinema, a collection of essays on film music for Wesleyan University Press
(2000). He is also co-editor with Hannah Lewis of Voicing the Cinema
List of Contributors ix
(Universityof Illinois Press, 2020) andwith Mark Durrand of Sounds Like
Action!: Music in the Action Film (Routledge University Press, 2020).
Vincenzo Caporaletti, musicologist, musician and composer, teaches General
Musicology and Transcultural Musicology at the University of Macerata
and isco-directorof the Centre de Recherche International sur leJazz etles
Musiques Audiotactiles (Sorbonne Université). He is editor of the series
Grooves. Collana di Studi Musicali Afro-Americani e Popular, Edizioni di
Musiche Audiotattili, Musiche daleggere (LibreriaMusicaleItaliana),Musi-
cologieeCulture(Aracne)andofjournalsAcusfere-suoni_culture_musicologie
(LIM),JournalofJazzandAudiotactileMusicStudies(SorbonneUniversité).
HisbooksincludeIprocessiimprovvisativinellamusica.Unapproccioglobale
(2005); Esperienze di analisi del jazz (2007); Jelly Roll Morton, the Old
QuadrilleandTigerRag.AnHistoriographicRevision(2011);SwingeGroove.
Sui fondamenti estetici delle musiche audiotattili (2014); Improvisation, Cul-
ture,Audiotactilité(withL.CugnyeB.Givan,2016);Introduzioneallateoria
dellemusicheaudiotattili(2019).Hewasmulti-instrumentalistandcomposer
in the Italian progressive rock group Pierrot Lunaire aswell a session musi-
cian;inthejazzscene,amongothers,heworkedasguitaristforseveralyears
withAmericanclarinettistTonyScott.
AlessandroCecchigainedhisPhDinMusicologyattheUniversityofPaviain
Cremona. He is senior lecturer at the University of Pisa, where he teaches
Music History and Film Music. He is series editor of the book series
Musica.Performance.Media (NeoClassica, Rome), editorial board member
of the journals Archival Notes and Sound Stage Screen, advisory board
memberoftheGustavMahlerResearchCentre,andcollaboratoroftheCentro
Studi Luciano Berio. His research interests focus on 20th-century music and
include mainly: music theory, musical aesthetics, music in literature, music in
themedia(especiallycinemaandtelevision),andmusicalperformance.Asfor
musical performance, he is co-editor of Investigating Musical Performance:
TheoreticalModelsandIntersections(Routledge,2020)andeditorofLamusica
fratesto,performanceemedia.Formeeconcettidell’esperienzamusicale(Neo-
Classica,2020).Asforfilmmusic,heisguestco-editorofaspecialdoubleissue
oftheJournalofFilmMusic(8,2015).
Michela Garda has a philosophical and musicological background. She tea-
ches Musical Aesthetics and Sociology of Music at the Department of
Musicology and Cultural Heritage, University of Pavia. She is the author
of two books: Musica sublime. Metamorfosi di un’idea nel Settecento
musicale(1995)andL’esteticamusicaledelNovecento.Tendenzeeproblemi
(2007). Hercurrentmain research interests arein the theoryand historyof
musical performativity (Registrare la performance. Testi, modelli, simulacri
tramemoriaeimmaginazione,ed.withEleonora Rocconi, PaviaUniversity
Press, 2016) and in the theory of vocal gesture (The Female Voice in the
