Klappentext

Challenging the many cultural critics who contend that the division between "high" and "low" art is an artificial one, Julian Johnson counters that music is more than just "a matter of taste." Classical music, he suggests, is distinguished by a self-conscious attention to its own materials and their formal patterning. Far from being irrelevant today, Johnson argues, classical music continues to offer rich and engaging insights into our experience of modern life. The paperback edition includes a new preface from the author, bringing his argument up to date.