Zum Hauptinhalt springen Zur Suche springen Zur Hauptnavigation springen
Beschreibung

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.

When the metronome was invented in 1815, it transformed the music world. Composers could now guide-and constrain-players of their works. Musicians ostensibly gained a tool to steer them to perfect tempo. Giants of classical music like Beethoven embraced the metronome early (its steady tick can even be heard in the eighth symphony) but fights soon erupted that have persisted today. Some consider the metronome an essential part of music instruction; others believe it creates mindless players and inhibits art.

The metronome evokes such strong feelings because it has uncompromising power. Through it, we are connected to the past, propelled into the future, and kept focused on the present. For that reason, it has been used not just by musicians but also by athletes, scientists, lawyers, and authors. Weaving together examples from music, literature, and psychology, as well as the philosophical musings of scientists and artists, Metronome uncovers the surprising and fraught history of a timeless object.

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.

When the metronome was invented in 1815, it transformed the music world. Composers could now guide-and constrain-players of their works. Musicians ostensibly gained a tool to steer them to perfect tempo. Giants of classical music like Beethoven embraced the metronome early (its steady tick can even be heard in the eighth symphony) but fights soon erupted that have persisted today. Some consider the metronome an essential part of music instruction; others believe it creates mindless players and inhibits art.

The metronome evokes such strong feelings because it has uncompromising power. Through it, we are connected to the past, propelled into the future, and kept focused on the present. For that reason, it has been used not just by musicians but also by athletes, scientists, lawyers, and authors. Weaving together examples from music, literature, and psychology, as well as the philosophical musings of scientists and artists, Metronome uncovers the surprising and fraught history of a timeless object.

Über den Autor
Matthew H. Birkhold is Associate Professor of German at Ohio State University, USA. He is the author of Chasing Icebergs (2023) and Characters before Copyright (2019). His writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, The Paris Review, Foreign Affairs, and Atlas Obscura.
Inhaltsverzeichnis

Authority
Training
Anxiety
Beauty
Rebellion

Index

Details
Erscheinungsjahr: 2025
Genre: Allgemeine Lexika, Importe
Rubrik: Literaturwissenschaft
Medium: Taschenbuch
Reihe: Object Lessons
ISBN-13: 9798765108871
Sprache: Englisch
Einband: Kartoniert / Broschiert
Autor: Birkhold, Matthew H
Redaktion: Bogost, Ian
Schaberg, Christopher
Hersteller: Bloomsbury Academic
Verantwortliche Person für die EU: Libri GmbH, Europaallee 1, D-36244 Bad Hersfeld, gpsr@libri.de
Maße: 163 x 122 x 20 mm
Von/Mit: Matthew H Birkhold
Erscheinungsdatum: 13.11.2025
Gewicht: 0,165 kg
Artikel-ID: 134171204