A Theory of Virtual Agency for Western Art Music

"...a brilliant tour de force concerning an issue at the forefront of musical meaning today: the problem of agency...[which] could only be written by someone with a lifetime of experience and study."—Michael Klein, author of Music and the Crises of the Modern Subject

"Robert Hatten's A Theory of Virtual Agency for Western Art Music is a magisterial contribution to music theory. It is substantial in content; immensely wide-ranging in musical and critical reference; penetratingly thought through and argued; and superbly written and organized. It is a joy to watch the arc of Hatten's thought as it builds on his earlier writings and fulfills his trilogy of books."—Michael Spitzer, author of Music as Philosophy

"Robert Hatten's A Theory of Virtual Agency for Western Music [is] a magisterial contribution to music theory. It is substantial[in] content; immensely wide-ranging in musical and critical reference; penetratingly thought through and argued; and superbly written and organized."—Michael Spitzer, author of Beethoven, vol. 1

"The book represents a major effort and achievement from one the era's most influential music theorists. . . . Essential."—Choice

"In A Theory of Virtual Agency for Western Art Music, Robert S. Hatten examines agency as it is projected by music and perceived by listeners. . . . Scholars and performers eager to discover imaginative yet authentic ways to experience and understand music will enjoy this book and relish finding themselves within it."—Ian Gerg, Chestnut Hill College, Notes