Perspectives of New Music
Perspectives of New Music is a peer-reviewed academic journal specializing in music theory and analysis. It was established in 1962 by Arthur Berger and Benjamin Boretz (who were its initial editors-in-chief).
| Discipline | Music theory and musical analysis |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Edited by | Benjamin Boretz, Robert Morris, John Rahn |
| Publication details | |
| History | 1962–present |
| Publisher | Perspectives of New Music |
| Frequency | Biannual |
| Standard abbreviations | |
| ISO 4 | Perspect. New Music |
| Indexing | |
| ISSN | 0031-6016 |
| LCCN | 66089176 |
| JSTOR | 00316016 |
| OCLC no. | 805415023 |
| Links | |
Perspectives was first published by the Princeton University Press, initially supported by the Fromm Music Foundation.[1] The first issue was favorably reviewed in the Journal of Music Theory, which observed that Berger and Boretz had produced "a first issue which sustains such a high quality of interest and cogency among its articles that one suspects the long delay preceding the yet-unborn Spring, 1963 issue may reflect a scarcity of material up to their standard".[2]
However, as the journal's editorial "perspective" coalesced, Fromm became—in the words of David Gable—disenchanted with the "exclusive viewpoint [that] came to dominate" it. "However intrinsically valuable the kinds of analytic approaches that came to typify it may [have been], Perspectives [became] in essence a highly specialized theory journal for contemporary music. For a decade, Fromm and certain members of the advisory board attempted to broaden the journal's scope, and when the editorial board . . . refused to return to the original conception, Fromm withdrew his funding in 1972.[3]
When Fromm discontinued his support, Perspectives of New Music formed an independent corporation, which has continued its publication.
Boretz edited the journal from 1962 through 1983, with co-editors Berger (1962–1964), Edward T. Cone (1968–1972), and Elaine Barkin (1972–1983). John Rahn was editor from 1983 until 1993, and Boretz again in 1994/95. From 1995 until 2000, there was a group of five editors: Joseph Dubiel, Marion Guck, Marianne Kielian-Gilbert, Andrew Mead, and Stephen Peles. The current editors are Boretz, Robert Morris, and Rahn.
References
- David Carson Berry, "Journal of Music Theory under Allen Forte's Editorship," Journal of Music Theory 50/1 (2006), 21, n49.
- Richmond Browne, "Perspectives of New Music: Arthur Berger, Editor, Benjamin Boretz, Associate Editor, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N. J., 1962. 196p." Journal of Music Theory 7/2 (Winter 1963), 262–65; citation on 263.
- David Carson Berry, "Journal of Music Theory under Allen Forte's Editorship," Journal of Music Theory 50/1 (2006), 21, n49, quoting David Gable, "Paul Fromm in American Musical Life", in A Life for New Music: Selected Papers of Paul Fromm, edited by David Gable and Christoph Wolff, ix–xviii (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Department of Music, 1988), xv.
Further reading
- 2012. "A History of Perspectives on the Occasion of Our 50th Anniversary" (collection of short articles and interviews conducted by Rachel S. Vandagriff). Perspectives of New Music 50, nos. 1 and 2 (Winter–Summer): 6–243.
- Berger, Arthur, and Benjamin Boretz. 1987. "A Conversation about Perspectives", transcribed by Marjorie Tichenor. Perspectives of New Music 25, nos. 1–2, 25th Anniversary Issue (Winter-Summer): 592–607.
- Dibelius, Ulrich. 1988. "Perspectives of New Music. XXV/1–2: 25th Anniversary Issue". Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 149, nos. 7–8: 106.
- Graber, Jonathan Schultz. 1995. "Perspectives of New Music: A History". DMA diss. Seattle: University of Washington.
- Kerman, Joseph. 1985. Contemplating Music: Challenges to Musicology. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674166779 (cloth) ISBN 0674166787 (pbk).