Philosophical Perspectives on Music

Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: Bowman's book is an extraordinary example of scholarship by any standard. His elegant and fine-grained examination of 'music' offers serious readers a range of perspectives (e.g., Music as. . . Imitation, Idea, Form, Symbol, Experience and so forth) which is unmatched in the philosophical literature for its clarity, depth, insight and comprehensiveness. It opens the widest possible window on music with the added benefit that a great deal of erroneous 'old think' is totally blown away. I place Bowman's book at the top of my 'must read' list for all graduate students.

Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: Bowman's book is an extraordinary example of scholarship by any standard. His elegant and fine-grained examination of `music' offers serious readers a range of perspectives (e.g., Music as. . . Imitation, Idea, Form, Symbol, Experience and so forth) which is unmatched in the philosophical literature for its clarity, depth, insight and comprehensiveness. It opens the widest possible window on music with the added benefit that a great deal of erroneous `old think' is totally blown away. I place Bowman's book at the top of my `must read' list for all graduate students.

Rating:
Summary: Good but Pedantic
Review: Bowman's book is important for the careful detail it provides on past philosophical theories of music. But his book has three major weaknesses. Bowman's exhaustive detail is second only to his heavy, exhausting, pedantic style. (There is no life in Bowman's writing; no joy; no expression. How ironic in a book about music!). Next, his book omits to discuss most contemporary philosophers of music. Why? This is a curious and disappointing omission which makes his book far less valuable than it could have been. Good for him (and bad for us, I think) because Bowman's omissions allow him to sidestep all the difficult (but interesting and valuable) challenges that come from thinking critically about philosophical discourse in the present day.