According to Wendy Allanbrook, cultural historians have described the nature of musical expression in terms of two primary categories—as autonomous, formal, and numerable, but also as affective and imitative of the human and the mundane. Central to Allanbrook’s study of the nature of musical expression is the question, Is classical music a special moment in music history, or a model for other musics? Illustrating this issue are examples from the works of Mozart, including The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, the Jupiter symphony, and Piano Sonata in F Major.
At the time of this interview, Allanbrook, a Fellow at the National Humanities Center (1986-87, 2003-04), was professor of music at St. John’s College in Annapolis.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
