Review of Markand Thakar, Looking for the “Harp” Quartet: An Investigation into Musical Beauty (University of Rochester Press, 2011)

[...]even in music with no explicit text, any non-musical associations or allusions will also distract the listener from the musical object, and thus negate the transcendent experience. [...]the dialogue format provides a model for a healthy mentor/protégé relationship, and, at a time when the outlook frequently seems very dark, Thakar paints a hopeful picture for the future of art music.