From the Erotic to the Demonic

This text should prove useful as a model for musicologists who want to take a postmodern approach to their inquiries. It demonstrates how different musical styles construct ideas of class, sexuality, and ethnic identity. The arguments are supported by 90 musical examples taken from such diverse sources as opera, symphonic music, jazz, and 19th- and 20th-century popular songs. Derek Scott offers insights on a range of "high" and "low" musical styles, and the cultures that produced them.