Philosophy of the Performing Arts (Paperback)

Part I: Performance and the Classical Paradigm.

Chapter 1 The Nature of Artistic Performance.

I Introduction.

II What is a performance?

III ‘Institutional’ theories of artistic performance.

IV ‘Aesthetic’ theories of artistic performance.

V Artistic performance and ‘artistic regard’.

VI Overview.

Chapter 2 The Classical Paradigm I: The Nature of the Performable Work.

I Introduction: Berthold and Magda go to the symphony.

II The ‘multiple’ nature of performable works.

III Performable works as ‘types’.

IV Varieties of ‘type’ theories: sonicism, instrumentalism, and contextualism.

V Other theories of the performable work.

a/ Performable works as ‘indicated’ types.

b/ Performable works as ‘continuants’.

c/ Performable works as indicatings of types.

d/ Fictionalism about performable works.

Chapter 3 The ‘Classical Paradigm’ II: Appreciating Performable Works in Performance.

I Introduction: talking appreciatively about performable works.

II Can performable works share artistic properties with their performances?

III The ‘Goodman argument’ .

IV Answering the ‘Goodman argument’.

Chapter 4 Authenticity in Musical Performance.

I Introduction.

II ‘Authenticity’ in the arts.

III Three notions of historically authentic performance.

a/ Authenticity defined in terms of composer’s intentions.

b/ Authenticity defined in terms of the ‘sound’ of the work.

c/ Authenticity defined in terms of performance practice.

Chapter 5 Challenges to the Classical Paradigm in Music.

I Introduction: The classical paradigm in the performing arts.

II The scope of the paradigm in classical music.

III Jazz, rock, and the classical paradigm.

a/ Jazz.

b/ Rock.

IV Non-Western music and the classical paradigm.

Chapter 6 The Scope of the Classical Paradigm: Theatre, Dance, and Literature.

I Introduction: Berthold and Magda go to the theatre.

II Theatrical performances and performable works.

III Challenges to the classical paradigm in theatre.

IV Dance and the classical paradigm.

V The novel as performable work?

Part II: Performance as Art .

Chapter 7 Performances as Artworks.

I Introduction: spontaneous performance in the arts.

II The artistic status of performances outside the classical paradigm.

III The artistic status of performances within the classical paradigm.

Chapter 8 Elements of Performance I: Improvisation and Rehearsal.

I Introduction.

II The nature of improvisation.

III Improvisation and performable works: three models.

a/ Improvisation on a theme.

b/ Improvisational composition.

c/ Pure improvisation.

IV Improvisation and recording.

V The place of rehearsal in the performing arts.

Chapter 9 Elements of Performance II: Audience and Embodiment.

I Can there be artistic performance without an audience?

II Audience response.

III The embodied performer and the ‘mirroring’ receiver.

Chapter 10 ‘Performance Art’ and the Performing Arts.

I Introduction.

II Some puzzling cases.

III What is ‘performance art’?

IV When do works of ‘performance art’ involve artistic performances?

V Performance as art: a final case.

Bibliography.

Index .