French Literature Reviews - 2026

V. Anger, The Meaning of Music 1750-1900
Art and Visual Culture

Le sens de la musique 1750-1900. Vivaldi, Beethoven, Berlioz, Liszt, Debussy, Stravinski
Anthology edited by V. Anger (in collaboration with J. W. Noldus).
Éditions Rue d'Ulm. Vol. I: 288 p., 35 euros; vol II: 312 p., 35 euros.

Do Vivaldi's The Four Seasons imitate the sounds of the world? Can the history of music be understood as a gradual liberation from imitative constraint, from a natural or even naturalistic grounding? Do Beethoven, Berlioz, Schumann, Wagner, and Debussy mark the stages leading to pure music? Romanticism established music as the paradigm of Art by conceiving it as a language freed from the weight of meaning—an "abstract" art precisely because of its autonomy.
Through the scholarly depth of the authors and works examined, and the chronological and theoretical landmarks brought to light, this anthology offers a genuine history of sonic thought and musical practice from the 18th to the early 20th century. Music lovers, musicologists, historians, and art philosophers alike will find in it a fresh perspective on the relationship between imitation and expression, the debate over abstraction, and the ways in which the arts engage with meaning.

This two-volume collection situates itself within the broad tradition of music history and aesthetics, tracing how musical practice and sonic thought evolved from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century. By gathering texts that engage with central questions of representation and autonomy, the anthology touches upon longstanding debates surrounding musical meaning, the shift from imitative models toward pure music, and the theoretical frameworks established during the Romantic era. It reflects upon how various composers and writers conceptualized the relationship between sound, expression, and the broader philosophical status of art during this pivotal epoch, offering perspectives that bridge musicology, history, and the philosophy of the arts. Readers interested in the history of music aesthetics, nineteenth-century art philosophy, and the changing paradigms of musical expression may find these volumes relevant to their pursuits.