Bloom, Post-Structuralism(s), and Music Theory

Abstract

A number of music scholars have adapted the work of literary theorist Harold Bloom for their own use. This article examens Bloom’s relation to post-structuralist critical theory in general, and then considers how music-theoretical adaption may slant that relation. It concludes by asserting that music scholarship tends to emphasize the more traditional aspects of Bloom’s work. This, in turn, may allow music theorists to believe we are engaging the challenges of recent critical theory, when in fact we are reinforcing mainstream music-theoretical ideologies.