Theodor Adorno's Critique of Jazz in the Light of History:

Which Music are we Talking About?

Authors

  • Lucas Fiaschetti Estevez Universidade de São Paulo (PPGS - FFLCH)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46269/10121.698

Keywords:

Theodor W. Adorno, jazz, culture industry, Weimar Republic, music criticism

Abstract

Theodor W. Adorno's position in relation to jazz is the subject of a discussion that has been going on for decades. Contrary to the understanding of jazz as an artistically elaborate protest music, Adorno took it as the clearest example of the harmful effects of the commodification of culture. Since then, it has become common to rate his interpretation as prejudiced and elitist. To respond to such criticisms, we start from the hypothesis that the critics of the Adornian work tend to ignore the specific type of music to which the author directed his argument, prior to the profound transformations that jazz presented from the second half of the 20th century. Thus, we will analyze the Weimar Republic’s music scene, emphasizing the historical determinations of its argument, as well as its limits.

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Published

2022-12-05