The Music of Nature by William Gardiner, Paperback | Indigo Chapters

The English composer and concert producer William Gardiner published The Music of Nature in 1832 in order to explain the 'true principles of musical taste and expression' by listening to the 'germs of melody' in nature. In this book, he musically notates the sounds of oxen, a Newfoundland dog, a blackbird, a cooing dove and even an angry child in an attempt to amalgamate natural history, personal observation, and historical anecdotes with his passion for music. Gardiner, who introduced Beethoven's music to Britain, discusses his ideas in 51 chapters. The book sets out his general beliefs about the adaptability of the human ear, the differences between noise and sound, singing and oratory, and the musicality of ordinary language. He also discusses many noted singers of his day and delves into the different techniques used by singers and instrumentalists to elicit emotion in their audiences. | The Music of Nature by William Gardiner, Paperback | Indigo Chapters