'The Alphorn through the Eyes of the Classical Composer' is the first
and definitive book to be written about the alphorn in English. It has
been written with English-speaking readers in mind, as it examines the
extensive interest of primarily non-Swiss composers, writers and artists
in the alphorn as a symbol of the Alps, the influence and significance
of the alphorn in culture, literature and the arts across the globe, and
the ways in which the instrument has been specifically utilised by the
Swiss as the iconic representation of their country.
This book also explores the use of the musical language of the alphorn
call, to ascertain why and how such references as those of Berlioz or
Beethoven can convey so much meaning. Dr Jones seeks out what it is that
a composer brings into the concert hall, the theatre, the opera house,
the church, or the drawing room by such a quotation, to what heritage
they are referring, and upon what basis there are grounds for an
assumption that such a reference will be understood by an audience.
The book, which will be of interest to researchers in Swiss cultural
studies and ethnomusicology, builds on Dr Jones's research and PhD
thesis. The six chapters deal with a variety of topics, including a
basic introduction to the alphorn and an exploration of the promotion of
the instrument as the symbol of Switzerland, as well as the reasons
behind symbolic references to alphorn motifs by European and British
composers in concert repertoire, jazz and film.
