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Table of Contents
1. Chapter 1 Listening to Iris Murdoch
Introduction
Music and sound in fiction: a review of the field
Music in Murdochs life
Discussions of music in Murdochs philosophy
The sound-worlds in Murdochs fiction
Part I Music
2. Chapter 2 The music is too painful: Music as character and atmosphere
Introduction
Awaken, my blackbird: Music in The unicorn
Like a breathless enchanted girl: Music in The red and the green
The swan princess: Music in The time of the angels
The concourse of sweet sounds: Music in The nice and the good
Conclusion
3. Chapter 3 The point at which flesh and spirit most joyfully meet: Singers and singing
Introduction
Che cosa e amor?: Singing in The sea, the sea
Singing as exclusion in The message to the planet
Never to sing again? Never?: Singing in The philosophers pupil (1983)
Conclusion
4. Chapter 4 Musical women and unmusical men
Introduction: Of course they never let the women sing.
Quiet women: The good apprentice
Silent pianos
No women composers
Opera, intimacy, sexuality and androgyny in A fairly honourable defeat
Conclusion
Part II Silence and sound
5. Chapter 5 Different voices, different discourses: Voices and other human sounds
Introduction: Serious noticing
The long search for words: Something special
The quiet sound of voices: The sandcastle
Intolerable with menace: Henry and Cato
A mechanical litany: The good apprentice
Conclusion
6. Chapter 6 Like a clarity under a mist: Ambient noise and silence, dreamscapes and atmosphere
Introduction
The sacred and profane love machine: The drama of silence
The black prince and Under the net: Silence and art
Brunos dream: Synaesthesia and perception
Nuns and soldiers
Conclusion
Part III Settings
7. Chapter 7 Just bring me the composers: Musical settings of Iris Murdochs words
Introduction
The servants opera: music by William Mathias, libretto by Iris Murdoch
The round horizon, cantata in five parts: music by Christopher Bochmann, words by Iris Murdoch
The one alone: Radio play with music by Gary Carpenter
A year of birds: Song cycle for soprano and orchestra by Malcolm Williamson
Forgive me. In memoriam Iris Murdoch, 1919-1999, for unaccompanied vocal ensemble (SATB) by Paul Crabtree
Inspired by Iris: Paul Hullah and Kent Wennman
Paul Hullah, All the names under the sun and Home
Kent Wennman, A Jerusalem conversation and The thinker and the feeling one
Conclusion: Iris Murdoch set to music
Coda Sound, music, silence and listening
Part IV The music
Appendix 1 Music mentioned in Murdochs fiction
Classical composers
Vocal music
Chronological list of music mentioned in Murdochs fiction
Appendix 2 Items in Iris Murdochs Oxford music collection held at Kingston University Library
Iris Murdochs manuscript notebooks of songs
Anthologies, collections, scores etc
Single works.
Introduction
Music and sound in fiction: a review of the field
Music in Murdochs life
Discussions of music in Murdochs philosophy
The sound-worlds in Murdochs fiction
Part I Music
2. Chapter 2 The music is too painful: Music as character and atmosphere
Introduction
Awaken, my blackbird: Music in The unicorn
Like a breathless enchanted girl: Music in The red and the green
The swan princess: Music in The time of the angels
The concourse of sweet sounds: Music in The nice and the good
Conclusion
3. Chapter 3 The point at which flesh and spirit most joyfully meet: Singers and singing
Introduction
Che cosa e amor?: Singing in The sea, the sea
Singing as exclusion in The message to the planet
Never to sing again? Never?: Singing in The philosophers pupil (1983)
Conclusion
4. Chapter 4 Musical women and unmusical men
Introduction: Of course they never let the women sing.
Quiet women: The good apprentice
Silent pianos
No women composers
Opera, intimacy, sexuality and androgyny in A fairly honourable defeat
Conclusion
Part II Silence and sound
5. Chapter 5 Different voices, different discourses: Voices and other human sounds
Introduction: Serious noticing
The long search for words: Something special
The quiet sound of voices: The sandcastle
Intolerable with menace: Henry and Cato
A mechanical litany: The good apprentice
Conclusion
6. Chapter 6 Like a clarity under a mist: Ambient noise and silence, dreamscapes and atmosphere
Introduction
The sacred and profane love machine: The drama of silence
The black prince and Under the net: Silence and art
Brunos dream: Synaesthesia and perception
Nuns and soldiers
Conclusion
Part III Settings
7. Chapter 7 Just bring me the composers: Musical settings of Iris Murdochs words
Introduction
The servants opera: music by William Mathias, libretto by Iris Murdoch
The round horizon, cantata in five parts: music by Christopher Bochmann, words by Iris Murdoch
The one alone: Radio play with music by Gary Carpenter
A year of birds: Song cycle for soprano and orchestra by Malcolm Williamson
Forgive me. In memoriam Iris Murdoch, 1919-1999, for unaccompanied vocal ensemble (SATB) by Paul Crabtree
Inspired by Iris: Paul Hullah and Kent Wennman
Paul Hullah, All the names under the sun and Home
Kent Wennman, A Jerusalem conversation and The thinker and the feeling one
Conclusion: Iris Murdoch set to music
Coda Sound, music, silence and listening
Part IV The music
Appendix 1 Music mentioned in Murdochs fiction
Classical composers
Vocal music
Chronological list of music mentioned in Murdochs fiction
Appendix 2 Items in Iris Murdochs Oxford music collection held at Kingston University Library
Iris Murdochs manuscript notebooks of songs
Anthologies, collections, scores etc
Single works.