Books by Kenneth LaFave

This book provides a unique approach to some of philosophy's fundamental issues. It points to music as a model for exploring such questions as, "What does it mean to value?" This is not a musical study, per se, but a philosophical text that uses music as a vehicle for investigating these and other metaphysical, axiological, and aesthetic matters.

LaFave opens the ears of film-goers to the nuance behind movie music, laying out in layman's language how composers map what we hear to what we see. As part of the Listener's Companion series, this volume provides an enhanced experience of music by exploring how the works were written and first performed as well as how they are enjoyed today.

In this book, Kenneth LaFave guides readers past Bernstein's famously tortured personal problems and into the clarity and balance of his Serenade after Plato's Symposium for Violin and Orchestra, the intense drama of his music for On the Waterfront, the existential cosmography of his three symphonies, and his vibrant works for the musical stage.