
Experimentalism Otherwise
The New York Avant-Garde and Its Limits
Benjamin Piekut(Author)
University of California Press
1st Edition
Published on 4. April 2011
Book
Hardback
296 pages
978-0-520-26850-0 (ISBN)
Description
In "Experimental Otherwise", Benjamin Piekut takes the reader into the heart of what we mean by 'experimental' in avant-garde music. Focusing on one place and time - New York City, 1964 - Piekut examines five disparate events: the New York Philharmonic's disastrous performance of John Cage's Atlas Eclipticalis; Henry Flynt's demonstrations against the downtown avant-garde; Charlotte Moorman's Avant Garde Festival; the founding of the Jazz Composers Guild; and, the emergence of Iggy Pop. Drawing together a colorful array of personalities, Piekut argues that each of these examples points to a failure and marks a limit or boundary of canonical experimentalism. What emerges from these marginal moments is an accurate picture of the avant-garde, not as a style or genre, but as a network defined by disagreements, struggles, and exclusions.
Reviews / Votes
"Richly deserving superlatives, [Experimentalism Otherwise] is a memorable, exciting, rigorous, and beautifully written book of considerable importance." -- Edward Crooks, University of York Tacet "This is an important book, and should be part of every academic music library." -- Clemens Greeser Notes (Music Library Assoc) "Objective, insightful prose" All About Jazz "An original and important book... Impressive in its scope... A concise and focused account." -- Thomas Fogg Current Musicology "Experimental Otherwise crafts a surprisingly strong narrative." -- Dave Cantor SkyscraperMore details
Series
Edition
First Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Berkerley
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
15 b-w photographs, 3 music examples
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
578 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-520-26850-0 (9780520268500)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2011
1st Edition
Naval Institute Press
€34.49
Available for download
Person
Benjamin Piekut is Assistant Professor of Musicology at Cornell University.