isbuiltdeepintoitshistory.Youmightalmostsaythatmusicisn’ta‘something’until,bythinkingandwritingaboutit,weturnitintoone.Ifthatsoundsabitparadoxical,thereasonisthatitisabitparadoxical;maybeElvisCostello(ifitwasElvisCostello)hadapointwhenhesaidthatwritingaboutmusicislikedancingaboutarchitecture.Butthepointisthatwedoitallthesame.annotsay,tosaywhatwemeanbymusic,whatmusicmeanstous.Andintheend,itislargelywordsthatdeterminewhatmusicdoesmeantous.Thatisperhapstheonlyrealjustificationforwritinganythingaboutmusic,evenaVeryShortIntroduction.Butshortasitis,abookwithasbroadascopeasthisexceedstheboundsofanyindividual’sexpertise;atleast,itexceedstheboundsofmine.Whatevermistakesmayremain,mythankstoMarkEverist,MatthewHead,RogerParker,RobynnStilwell,andJonathanStock,withoutwhomtherewouldhavebeenmoreofthem.N.C.
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