Music in World War II

How can music withstand the death and destruction brought on by war? Global conflicts of the 20th century fundamentally transformed not only national boundaries, power relations, and global economies, but also the arts and culture of every nation involved. An important, unacknowledged aspect of these conflicts is that they have unique musical soundtracks. Music in World War II explores how music and sound took on radically different dimensions in the United States and Europe before, during, and after World War II. Additionally, the collection examines the impact of radio and film as the disseminators of the war's musical soundtrack. Contributors contend that the European and American soundtrack of World War II was largely one of escapism rather than the lofty, solemn, heroic, and celebratory mode of "war music" in the past. Furthermore, they explore the variety of experiences of populations forced from their homes and interned in civilian and POW camps in Europe and the United States, examining how music in these environments played a crucial role in maintaining ties to an idealized "home" and constructing politicized notions of national and ethnic identity. This fascinating and well-constructed volume of essays builds understanding of the role and importance of music during periods of conflict and highlights the unique aspects of music during World War II.

Pamela M. Potter is Professor of German and Music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is author of Most German of the Arts: Musicology and Society from the Weimar Republic to the End of Hitler's Reich and Art of Suppression: Confronting the Nazi Past in Histories of the Visual and Performing Arts and editor (with Celia Applegate) of Music and German National Identity. Christina L. Baade is Professor and Chair in the Department of Communication Studies and Multimedia at McMaster University. She is author of the award-winning Victory through Harmony: The BBC and Popular Music in World War II and editor (with James Deaville) of Music and the Broadcast Experience: Performance, Production, and Audiences. Roberta Montemorra Marvin is Professor of Musicology and Chair of the Department of Music and Dance at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is author of many books, including The Politics of Verdi's Cantica, and is editor of the critical edition of that work for the Works of Giuseppe Verdi series.