Between Modern and Postmodern Worlds: Theodor W. Adorno's Struggle with the Concept of Musical Kitsch
Journal: Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Year: 2019

The concept of “kitsch” remains a perennial concern for philosophers of aesthetics. Many distinguished writers have contributed to the literature on kitsch, yet the valuable work of the musicologist, sociologist, and philosopher Theodor Adorno (1903-1969) has been largely overlooked. Adorno nurtured an abiding interest in the topic of musical kitsch in particular, but was profoundly troubled by its implications for the cultural edification and psychological health of modern society. His writings