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American Music and the Well-Timed Sneer

American Music and the Well-Timed Sneer American Music and the Well-Timed Sneer Nothing in the propaganda world is so effective as the sneer. A word­ less sneer defies quotation, but it does its damage all the same. It hits its target with greater certainty than many a volume of condem­ nation, and seldom are its motives honorable. The well-timed sneer, sometimes vocal and sometimes silent, has impeded the progress of American music ever since America was so bold as to inaugurate a school of serious music of its own. First, it came from those admirers of European music who were disgruntled to find that Beethoven had not reincarnated in the body of a single American composer, as far as they knew. Later, on up into the pres­ ent, the sneer has come from—of all things!—certain American composers who, solely to boost their own products, sneer at the music of those of their colleagues who do not agree with them. Since Europeans colonized America, it follows that American cul­ ture (at least in its beginnings) stemmed from the old world. Our promising students went abroad to study; Europe's trained musi­ cians came here to teach and to perform. As a natural consequence, some early American composers http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Black Sacred Music Duke University Press

American Music and the Well-Timed Sneer

Black Sacred Music , Volume 6 (2) – Sep 1, 1992

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Copyright
Copyright © 1992 by Duke University Press
ISSN
1043-9455
eISSN
2640-9879
DOI
10.1215/10439455-6.2.150
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

American Music and the Well-Timed Sneer Nothing in the propaganda world is so effective as the sneer. A word­ less sneer defies quotation, but it does its damage all the same. It hits its target with greater certainty than many a volume of condem­ nation, and seldom are its motives honorable. The well-timed sneer, sometimes vocal and sometimes silent, has impeded the progress of American music ever since America was so bold as to inaugurate a school of serious music of its own. First, it came from those admirers of European music who were disgruntled to find that Beethoven had not reincarnated in the body of a single American composer, as far as they knew. Later, on up into the pres­ ent, the sneer has come from—of all things!—certain American composers who, solely to boost their own products, sneer at the music of those of their colleagues who do not agree with them. Since Europeans colonized America, it follows that American cul­ ture (at least in its beginnings) stemmed from the old world. Our promising students went abroad to study; Europe's trained musi­ cians came here to teach and to perform. As a natural consequence, some early American composers

Journal

Black Sacred MusicDuke University Press

Published: Sep 1, 1992

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