Metronome
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published:13th Nov '25
Should be back in stock very soon
Tells the story of the metronome and our strong reactions to its relentless tick.
Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.
When the metronome was invented in 1815, it transformed the music world. Composers and musicians now had a tool that could help them maintain a precise and consistent tempo. And while giants of classical music like Beethoven early embraced the metronome and proponents came to see its essential role in music instruction, critics believed it created mindless players and inhibited the creation of great art.
The metronome evokes strong feelings because of its uncompromising power. Through it, we are connected to the past, propelled into the future, and kept focused on the present. For that reason, this object has appeared in unlikely settings as athletes, scientists, psychologists, authors, and other professionals have found uses for it beyond music.
Metronome uncovers the surprising and fraught history of a timeless object.
In this clever and thoughtful exploration, Matthew Birkhold reveals how a simple ticking device became both liberator and tyrant, reshaping not just how we make music but how we understand rhythm, precision, and ultimately, our own humanity. * Christopher Cerrone, Composer, and Faculty, Mannes School of Music, The New School, USA *
Matthew Birkhold reveals the fascinating history of the metronome that not only covers music, but touches upon dance, art, education, philosophy, physics, psychology, and sports medicine. Devised by Johann Nepomuk Maelzel in 1815, Beethoven was an early supporter, but soon Maelzel’s metronome (the original M.M.) inspired passionate debates amongst musicians, conductors, composers, pedagogues, and musicologists. Birkhold has successfully unveiled the deeper meanings of an innocuous device that spells out perfect time, as opposed to human time. An illuminating read. * Fumi Tomita, Associate Professor of Jazz, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA *
Marvellous ... A genial and insightful exploration of the metronome's place in Western music and culture. * Library Journal *
ISBN: 9798765108871
Dimensions: 164mm x 122mm x 16mm
Weight: 168g
184 pages