The Sight of Sound: Music, Representation and the History of the Body

Leppert examines the social meanings of music as they have been shaped not only by hearing but also by seeing music in performance. His focus is the northern European bourgeoisie, principally in England and the Low countries, from 1600 to 1900, and his particular interest is the relation of music to the human body. He argues that musical practices, invariably linked to the body, are inseparable from the prevailing discourses of power, knowledge, identity, desire, and sexuality. A wonderfully stimulating book that will be of great importance to musicologists and students of culture generally. Illustrated.