The Hallelujah Effect Philosophical Reflections on Music, Performance Practice, and Technology

'... her primary focus is the meaning of dissonance, whether in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Wagner's Tristan lind Isolde, or Cohen's broken chords. The message of all three works is that harmony is an illusion, while tragedy and pain lead to truth.' The Beethoven Journal 'Babette Babich practices philosophical inquiry in the classroom. With The Hallelujah Effect she has brought her musings on philosophy and music to the world. If the role of a philosopher is to give us much to think about, Babich certainly accomplishes this in her book. From its first pages, The Hallelujah Effect is filled with ideas'. Rock Music Studies '... in The Hallelujah Effect Babich presents a wealth of thoughts on the engagement between philosophy and music, and it is in her appraisals of Adorno and Nietzsche that the strengths of the book become apparent'. Musicology Australia '... this is a thought-provoking book that seeks to understand our current media culture within a philosophical context. Babich's observations and conclusions are compelling ...' Canadian Association of Music Libraries Review