The Second Industrial Revolution, new industrial societies, and growing urbanization drastically changed the life of humankind at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This volume investigates how the articulated musical world of the time was influenced by industrialization, how urbanization and new forms of circulation affected everyday life, and how new possibilities of experiencing cities and their musical entertainments came to light.
In which ways did new forms of circulation influence the life of theatres and concert halls, the growing of orchestras, and the related birth of new workers’ organizations? One section will be devoted to the development of the making of musical instruments, the related world of universal exhibitions, and music publishing. This volume also investigates new forms of mechanical reproduction in music, together with their many applications within society.
Through the analysis of selected works, the volume also examines aesthetic perceptions of technological impact and its projections in an imaginary future.