Music as an Art

Roger Scruton

Bloomsbury ISBN 978-1-4729-5571-5; 272pp (hb) £25.00

Principally a philosopher, Roger Scruton first demonstrated his love and profound perception of mainstream classical music in The Aesthetics of Music (1997). Here now is his third book on that topic, a collection of essays divided into two parts: ‘Philosophical Investigations’ and ‘Critical Explorations’. Some are very fine, including his insights about ‘Nietzsche on Wagner’, and a vivid exegesis on Britten’s ‘Lyke-wake Dirge’ which may inspire readers to revisit or discover that piece of music. Unfortunately, beside some questionable claims (he insists that birds are not musical), Scruton’s attacks on several bêtes noires – including Boulez, opera producers and contemporary popular music – are so obviously blinkered that they risk doing more damage to his own cause than to his intended targets. His habit, too, of making off-hand references to Chomsky, Schenker and even an obscure composer (Nathan Davies, anyone?) makes one wish there had been some editorial intervention or at least feedback from colleagues (as had been the case with The Aesthetics of Music) to save Scruton from his solipsistic assumptions. Daniel Jaffé ★★★