C.K. Ogden (1889–1957) and I.A. Richards’ (1893–1979) The Meaning of Meaning is widely recognised as a classic text of early twentieth-century linguistic semantics and semiotics, but less well known are its links to the ‘logical atomism’ of Bertrand Russell (1872–1970), one of the foundational doctrines of analytic philosophy. In this paper a det…[Read more]

Although a relatively minor project in terms of its impact on the broader international language movement, Basic English is interesting for the elaborate semiotic theory that lies behind it. The creator of Basic, Charles Kay Ogden (1889–1957), is today remembered chiefly as co-author of The Meaning of Meaning, a book widely regarded as a classic o…[Read more]

Although now largely forgotten, the international language movement was, from the 1880s to the end of the Second World War, a matter of widespread public interest, as well as a concern of numerous scientists and scholars. The primary goal was to establish a language for international communication, but in the early twentieth century an increasing…[Read more]

A frequently mentioned if somewhat peripheral figure in the historiography of late nineteenth-century linguistics is the German sinologist and general linguist Georg von der Gabelentz (1840–1893). Today Gabelentz is chiefly remembered for several insights that proved to be productive in the development of subsequent schools and subdisciplines. I…[Read more]

Review of Evaluating Cartesian Linguistics, by Christina Behme

The multifaceted concept of ‘form’ plays a central tole in the linguistic work of Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835), where it is deeply entwined with aesthetic questions. H. Steinthal’s (1823–1899) interpretation of linguistic form, however, made it the servant of psychology. The Formungstrieb (drive to formation) of Georg von der Gabelentz…[Read more]

Since the 1950s, Brigadoon has been accepted as a representation of Scotland. Brigadoon’s Scotland consists of a highland landscape with lochs, mists, castles populated by fair maidens, warlike yet sensitive kilted men and bagpipers. Much of this comes from the invented traditions of Scotland, particularly kilts and clan tartans; late n…[Read more]

With the ever-expanding sea of resources available to students today, it is now more important than ever to teach students how to navigate, assess, and interpret resources. Given the ease of access to information, students tend to seek out the path of least resistance, most often a Google search and/or Wikipedia. Their unfamiliarity with print…[Read more]

Musicians are subject to a wide range of medical and performance problems related to the physical and psychological demands of their profession. Such problems are usually diagnosed and treated in relation to a specific cause, for example direct treatment to reduce inflammation. While holistic factors are increasingly acknowledged, currently…[Read more]

Users of contemporary media technology in religious settings often oscillate between immediacy in spiritual interaction and the increasing complexity and visibility of media technology as human artifacts. Drawing on approaches to mediation from philosophy and media theory, I examine Mauritian Muslims’ uses of sound reproduction in performing a d…[Read more]

Jorge Villavicencio Grossmann (nacido en 1973) es un compositor peruano/brasileño/estadounidense que estudió composición en São Paulo en la Faculdade Santa Marcelina y en los Estados Unidos en la Universidad Internacional de Florida y la Universidad de Boston. Su cuarteto de cuerdas no. 3 apareció en un disco reciente de cuartetos de cuerda lati…[Read more]

Elliott Carter once extolled the visceral, primitive effect of Penderecki’s Threnody on untrained listeners. In this article, I examine how a formalized analytical approach to the central section of the piece contributes positively to a phenomenological experience of the whole piece. Part 1 presents an ear-training progression aimed at bringing t…[Read more]

In this article I demonstrate how listeners understand musical processes with their bodies, and how their gestures can be used to build analytical models. Specifically, I draw on the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty to argue that situated, active listeners project their motor intentional gestures inside music, where they reconstitute the…[Read more]

Composer Donnacha Dennehy could be described as a bi-coastal composer, but in his case that would be the East Coasts of both Ireland and the United States of America. He is known for his work as co-founder of the Crash Ensemble, based in Dublin, and has four collections of his work issued on CDs from Nonesuch, RTE, and NMC. He joined the…[Read more]

Trying to rank Bach’s great moments is like trying to rank miracles in order of impossibility. Yet I’ve caught myself feeling that a moment in the B Minor Mass may be the greatest of all. This short essay, adapted from a chapter in my forthcoming ebook Why Bach?: An Audio-Visual Appreciation, says why. If features highlighted scores that play as a…[Read more]

The development of the Portuguese entertainment market and the rise of several types of musical theatre are inextricably bound to the complex symbolic and material process through which Portugal was established, presented, developed, and commodified as a modern nation-state between 1865 and 1908. During this period, several fundamental…[Read more]

The development of the Portuguese entertainment market and the rise of several types of musical theatre are inextricably bound to the complex symbolic and material process through which Portugal was established, presented, developed, and commodified as a modern nation-state between 1865 and 1908. During this period, several fundamental…[Read more]

Part One of this study seeks to define the nature of Spanish and Italian printed keyboard sources in the 16th and 17th centuries. In Chapter two, seven Spanish keyboard prints or theoretical works are examined, dating from 1546 to 1626. These works clearly state a conception of the ideals of keyboard playing; they also show the beginnings of a…[Read more]

Musico-analytical examination of Frank Ocean’s album Blonde and the lyrical references and musical allusions to a marijuana high.