Theodor Adorno's depiction of Stravinsky and Schoenberg in the <I>Philosophy of Modern Music </I>has been a source of much controversy. Many have criticised the Frankfurt Scholar for his biased portrayals. A common tendency shared among commentators has been to interpret Adorno's text literally. Yet upon closer examination, one sees that Adorno's intention was to write not only a literal text, but also a poetic text. Following in the tradition of Karl Kraus, and Walter Benjamin, Adorno's text is laden with symbols, metaphors, allusions and allegories that encircle socio-cultural and historical issues. Stravinsky and Schoenberg are often caricatures, and their works a means to discuss kitsch and avant-garde art during the rise of fascism in Germany. Even Adorno's portrayal of art in Germany is symbolic; his insights into state capitalist culture during World-War Two are meant to act as an acidic and prophetic analysis of monopoly capitalist culture in the post-World-War II era. Adorno's <I>Philosophy of Modern Music </I>was meant to be a <I>Flaschenpost, </I>a 'message in a bottle', designed to remain rebarbative through time. This thesis suggests that when one applies his insights to late capitalist society, they seem more relevant than ever.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:661791 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Sharma, B. R. |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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