About this ebook
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.
About the author
Dr Frances A. Jones has over forty years of experience as a freelance professional classical musician, primarily as an oboist and French horn player. She has been a leading professional alphorn player in the UK since 2005, and she is regularly engaged as a tutor on international alphorn courses in the UK, Austria, and Switzerland. She has given lecture recitals and broadcasts about the alphorn internationally in English, French, and German.
