Plays, Acting and Music: A Book Of Theory

audiobook

Plays, Acting and Music: A Book Of Theory

by Arthur Symons

EN·~5 hours·36 chapters

Chapters

36 total
1

LONDON CONSTABLE & COMPANY LTD 1909

0:05
2

PREFACE

2:25
3

AN APOLOGY FOR PUPPETS

6:17
4

NIETZSCHE ON TRAGEDY

6:20
5

SARAH BERNHARDT

13:08
6

COQUELIN AND MOLIÈRE: SOME ASPECTS

8:16
7

RÉJANE

4:58
8

YVETTE GUILBERT - I

10:17
9

SIR HENRY IRVING

8:15
10

DUSE IN SOME OF HER PARTS - I

17:52

Description

The author sets out to map a single, living theory of beauty that stretches across the performing arts, beginning with the theater and reaching into music. Drawing on essays, lectures, and personal observations, the work asks how each art form reveals its own laws while also whispering a universal aesthetic language. Early chapters compare the immediacy of a live actor’s temperament with the precise, unmediated gestures of marionettes, using that contrast to probe the essence of performance.

In a clear, conversational tone, the book invites listeners to sit close to the stage and notice the visible mechanics that shape illusion. It challenges the assumption that only human presence can convey meaning, suggesting that the controlled purity of puppetry may sometimes expose a play’s core more honestly. Throughout, the discussion remains rooted in concrete examples, making abstract ideas feel tangible and relevant for anyone curious about drama, music, and the art of perception.

Details

Language

en

Duration

~5 hours (308K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Credits

Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Leah Moser and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

Release date

2004-11-02

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

Arthur Symons

Arthur Symons

1865–1945

A leading voice of the 1890s literary world, this Welsh-born poet and critic helped introduce English readers to French Symbolism. His writing captures the shimmer of city nights, modern moods, and the restless spirit of the fin de siècle.

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