Hi Tony

I somehow doubt this tome would have slipped into your shopping-basket accidentally, since it's a loooong way from a best-seller   But it raises a whole issue about the "point" of such "historical" scholarship (turning musicology into a branch of history that's so far away from the music that it doesn't matter if there isn't any music at all?) that I think is very valid.  I don't think its intentions were purely to "catch" or "trap" the unwary...  (and in truth some of the detail is so outlandish that it begs to be outed as bogus) ... there is also a much deeper question about what the real study of music ought to be about? 

For example, those studying Mathematics or Biology don't spend their time on the arcane detail of the personal lives of the Great Mathemeticians or Biologists (or, err, do they?).  Of course it would be important to consider Newton's work against the social setting of his day, and many scientists have courted controversy by daring to suggest ideas to which the society, or the Church, or the Crown was inimicable...  but you would THEN go on to discuss what those theories really were! 

I do take your point, though..  the book might initially appear a bit "ha-ha-clever-dicky" to some, but it has wider aims than the shaggy dog story

I don't think there's any risk of someone taking this as anything but what it is...

http://www.schickele.com/shoppe/defbio.htm



Plenty of smarts among the slapstick.

Here's a link to some background on the Kriwaczek story:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6202644

I rather like his claim that he wanted to "expand the notion of musical composition to encompass the creation of an entire artistic genre, with its necessary accompanying history, mythology, philosophy, social function, etc."

Knowing the guy a bit, I'd say his tongue is probably only partially in his cheek. 

My thanks to Reiner for bringing this wonderful spoof to my attention. I can never resist a really good spoof, especially a pseudo-serious one (anyone read 'The Pooh Perplex' by F.C.Crews?) and this is a not only a fine addition to my special shelf, it also solves a Christmas present problem most admirably.  The more admirably, in fact, as my two ordered copies from the U.S. arrived today, brand new hardbacks which cost me a mere $15.38, and that included postage to the UK!