Oggi possiamo scegliere se ascoltare Beethoven, i Chemical Brothers o musica balinese, in auto o in una sala da concerto, così come possiamo scegliere fra una trattoria e un ristorante cinese; eppure, a una più approfondita osservazione, ci scopriamo collettivamente e fedelmente ancorati a valori e a gerarchie che, anche se considerati in modo critico, permangono come intoccabili retaggi del passato: il compositore, il grande interprete, l'autenticità, il capolavoro, l'edizione "fedele all...

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The world teems with different kinds of music - traditional, folk, classical, jazz, rock, pop - and each type of music tends to come with its own way of thinking. Drawing on a wealth of accessible examples ranging from Beethoven to Chinese zither music, this Very Short Introduction considers the history of music and thinking about music, focussing on its social and cultural dimensions. Nicholas Cook balances the Wester...

What is music? How is it constructed? How is it consumed? Why do you enjoy it at all? In Music: A Very Short Introduction, Nicholas Cook invites us to really think about music and the role it plays in our lives and our ears. Drawing on a number of accessible examples, the author prompts us to call on our own musical experiences in order to think more critically about the roles of the performers and the listener, about music as a commodity and an experience, what it means to unders...

In today's technological and globalised world, music remains a basic dimension of society. Music, Encounter, Togetherness outlines a relational approach to music that creates space for both human agency and social relationship. Throughout the book, author Nicholas Cook puts Euro-American musical traditions into dialogue with other world music cultures, complementing theory-driven approaches with comprehensive case studies ranging from late eighteenth-century India to contemporary ...

Today we think of Heinrich Schenker, who lived in Vienna from 1884 until his death in 1935, as the most influential music theorist of the twentieth century. But he saw his theoretical writings as part of a comprehensive project for the reform of musical composition, performance, criticism, and education-and beyond that, as addressing fundamental cultural, social, and political problems of the deeply troubled age in which he lived. This book aims to explain Schenker's project through readin...

Until recently, ideas of creativity in music revolved around composers in garrets and the lone genius. But the last decade has witnessed a sea change: musical creativity is now overwhelmingly thought of in terms of collaboration and real-time performance. Music as Creative Practice is a first attempt to synthesize both perspectives. It begins by developing the idea that creativity arises out of social interaction-of which making music together is perhaps the clearest possible illu...

As countries went into lockdown in 2020, people turned to music for comfort and solidarity. Neighbours sang to each other from their balconies; people participated in online music sessions that created an experience of socially distanced togetherness.Nicholas Cook argues that the value of music goes far beyond simple enjoyment. Music can enhance well-being, interpersonal relationships, cultural tolerance, and civil cohesion. At the same time, music can be a tool of persuasion or id...

This selection of sixteen of Nicholas Cook's essays covers the period from 1987 to 2004 and brings out the development of the author's ideas over these years. In particular the two keywords of the title -Meaning and Performance- represent critical directions that expand to the point that, by the end of the book, they become coextensive: music is seen as social action and meaning as created by that action. Within this overall direction, a wide variety of topics is explored, ranging from Bee...

Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is dependent on, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset. The underlying asset can be a stock, bond, commodity, currency, interest rate, or market index. Derivatives are used for various purposes, including hedging risk, speculating on price movements, and gaining access to otherwise hard-to-trade assets or markets.The modern derivatives market began to take shape in the 19th century with the establishment of organized exc...

Candlestick patterns are a critical tool used in technical analysis for understanding and predicting price movements in financial markets. Originating from Japan, these patterns provide visual insights into the emotions and sentiments of market participants over specific periods, aiding traders in making informed decisions. Each candlestick on a chart represents the price action within a specified time frame, such as a day, an hour, or even a minute.

An Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) is a type of investment fund and exchange-traded product that holds a collection of assets, such as stocks, bonds, or commodities, and trades on a stock exchange, much like a regular stock. ETFs offer investors a way to buy a broad basket of assets through a single security, providing diversification, liquidity, and cost efficiency. The structure of an ETF allows investors to gain exposure to a specific index, sector, commodity, or asset class without having t...

Blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger technology that records transactions across many computers in such a way that the registered transactions cannot be altered retroactively. This innovation ensures the security, transparency, and integrity of data. Blockchain's design is inherently resistant to data modification, making it an ideal solution for maintaining trust in digital transactions.At its core, blockchain consists of a chain of blocks, where each block contains a set ...