Introduction to a Philosophy of Music

Though not a textbook, Kivy's book neatly covers the history of musical aesthetics from Plato onwards, and thus could easily be used in philosophy of music classes.
Written clearly and engagingly, Peter Kivy's introduction to musical aesthetics usefully summarizes his own influential views on various issues in the philosophy of music.
Peter Kivy is the most influential and prolific author on the philosophy of music within the analytical tradition ... Kivy has written a very readable and elegantly composed philosophy of music, which requires no prior knowledge of musicological terminology. The treasures of the book are the keen analyses of the issues, the sophisticated argumentations, and the wealth of relevant arguments ... It is a most valuable book for those who want to confront their views of music with one of the best-argued positions in musical aesthetics.

Peter Kivy is Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University, New Jersey. He is the author of New Essays on Musical Understanding, also published by Oxford University Press (2001).