The Rest is Noise Analysis

Alex Ross’s The Rest is Noise was a nonfiction book that was impacted by the author’s bias and opinions. Ross omitted the names and information of many composers whom were considered innovative of their time. On the other hand, the controversies of the composers the author did mention were overshadowed by other details which meant they were inconsequential to the book. This argument can be refuted through the use of facts and research. One puissant composer who Alex Ross failed to mention was Gioachino Rossini who was an Italian composer in the 1800’s time period. He wrote music in the Romantic time period which revolved around opera. This style of music was very banal during Rossini’s time. During his lifetime, he wrote a total of 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, and piano solos. Perhaps his famous works were “The Barber of Seville” and “William Tell Overture” (Encyclopaedia Britannica). These two pieces of music were efficacious in drawing large audiences because they were so well written. Rossini was and still is considered to be an innovator to the opera style of music. He made several changes that revolutionized this genre. For one, he often gave the bass section of the choir the melody to some of his operas. This is still practiced today in modern opera (BBC). Also, he insisted the choir sang the written notes and not an improvisational cadenza. This contradicted the current practice in Italy at that time. If it weren’t for Rossini’s “spark of genius”, the opera theatre would not have been enhanced and renewed. Despite his contributions to romantic and opera music, Gioachino Rossini served and continues to serve as a paragon and was one composer who should have been in Alex Ross’s book The Rest is Noise. Horace Silver, an American jazz pianist and composer, was one influential musician who should have been mentioned in The Rest is Noise. He made many compositions such as “Safari” in 1952, and “Opus De Funk” in 1953 (Scaruffi). The solid