Cultural Narratives of Old Age in the Lives, Work, and Reception of Old Musicians

This book conceives of old age as a cultural formation rather than a biomedical condition. Beyond its critique of ageist reception of musicking, it suggests ways of composing, performing, and listening oldly that are shaped by the particularities of the old body and mind.

Joseph N. Straus is Distinguished Professor of Music at the CUNY Graduate Center, specializing in music since 1900. He has written technical music-theoretical articles, analytical studies of music by a variety of modernist composers, and, more recently, a series of articles and books that engage disability as a cultural practice.

Preface Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Old Age as Culture Chapter 3 Cultural Scripts for Old Age Chapter 4 Staging Old Age Chapter 5 Composing Oldly Chapter 6 Performing Oldly Chapter 7 Listening Oldly