Cursed Questions On Music and Its Social Practices

Richard Taruskin’s sweeping collection of essays distills a half century of professional experience, demonstrating an unparalleled insider awareness of relevant debates in all areas of music studies, including historiography and criticism, representation and aesthetics, musical and professional politics, and the sociology of taste. Cursed Questions, invoking a famous catchphrase from Russian intellectual history, grapples with questions that are never finally answered but never go away. This collection is an intellectual biography, showcasing the characteristic wit, provocation, and erudition readers have come to expect from Taruskin. It will be an essential volume for anyone interested in music, politics, and the arts.