The Triumph of Music, By Tim Blanning
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.In 1890, a poll revealed that, behind Queen Victoria and Bismarck, Europe's favourite figure was Johann Strauss II. Music had made it big. From his merry report of Brian May playing on the roof of Buckingham Palace at the 2002 Jubilee gig to the leaps across genres that let him discuss Coltrane's A Love Supreme and Wagner's Parsifal in the same warm breath, Blanning vaults over barriers of taste in this ambitious social history of music since 1700.
A historian rather than a critic, he alarmed the purists - deliberately. This thematic survey, from the musician as demigod (Beethoven to Clapton) to the revolutions in technology (the pianoforte to YouTube stardom), shuns league-tables of merit. Instead, with unflagging zest, it charts the ascent of music as a force for liberation, and finds Madonna's career just as remarkable as Monteverdi's.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments