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Music Magazines as Alternative Public Spheres

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Globalization, Music and Cultures of Distinction

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Abstract

This chapter draws on the readers’ letters published by Italian music magazines to explore the reception of their projects of legitimation. It reveals that asymmetries of cultural and subcultural capital, and differences like gender, age and class, were likely to shape readers’ relationship with music magazines, and that Bourdieu’s assumption about the social similarity, or ‘homology’, between cultural producers and their publics needs to be probed vis-à-vis different socio-historical contexts. More generally, the chapter highlights the role of music magazines as public spheres ripe with conflict and power asymmetries (Fraser 1990), but which nonetheless enhanced a reflection about the inequalities affecting Italian youth.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    My analysis draws on this section; see Appendix 1.

  2. 2.

    Editorial board (1974). ‘Referendumuzak’. Muzak, n. 5 (March): 3.

  3. 3.

    Anonymous (1974). No title. Gong, n. 2 (November): 8.

  4. 4.

    Antonucci Ferrara, A. (1977). No title. Gong, n. 1 (January): 7.

  5. 5.

    The number of themes is higher than the number of letters, as a single letter could address more than one theme. See Appendix 1.

  6. 6.

    Rotondi, S. (1977). Answer to Davide (Lombardia). Ciao 2001, n. 23 (12 June): 7–9.

  7. 7.

    Forace, G. (1976). ‘I complessi commerciali’. Ciao 2001, n. 14 (11 April): 5–6.

  8. 8.

    Rotondi, S. (1976). Answer to Forace. Ciao 2001, n. 14 (11 April): 5–6.

  9. 9.

    Cimini, M. (1974). ‘Ribolle il sangue’. Ciao 2001, n. 25 (23 June): 5–7.

  10. 10.

    Elena (no surname) (1974). ‘Io vado pazza per gli Osmonds’. Ciao 2001, n. 8 (24 February): 5–7.

  11. 11.

    Rotondi, S. (1974). Answer to Cimini. Ciao 2001, n. 25 (23 June): 5–7.

  12. 12.

    Rotondi, S. (1974). Answer to Elena. Ciao 2001, n. 8 (24 February): 5–7.

  13. 13.

    Angelozzi, A. (1975). ‘Grave lacuna’. Ciao 2001, n. 37 (21 September): 5–6.

  14. 14.

    Rotondi, R. (1975). Answer to Angelozzi. Ciao 2001, n. 37 (21 September): 5–6.

  15. 15.

    Torrisi, M., Libra, N., Mazzullo, C. (1975). No title. Gong, n. 12 (December): 3–4.

  16. 16.

    Bertoncelli, R. (1975). Answer to Torrisi, Libra, Mazzullo. Gong, n. 12 (December): 3–4.

  17. 17.

    Foresta, G. and Iacono G. (1974). No title. Muzak, n. 5 (March): 5–7.

  18. 18.

    Pintor, G. (1974). Answer to Iacono and Foresta. Muzak, n. 5 (March): 5–7.

  19. 19.

    Some critics mention early familiarization with classical music in their biographies, notably Saverio Rotondi (Ciao 2001) and Renato Marengo (Ciao 2001. Others had significant familiarity with classical music and occasionally wrote about it: Carlo Cella (Gong), Riccardo Bertoncelli (Gong) and Giaime Pintor (Muzak). Lack of information in other biographies makes it difficult to assess how many critics were familiar with classical music.

  20. 20.

    Gong published a regular section about classical music (Riprendiamoci la classica) from November 1975 onwards. To keep the analysis manageable, I decided not to include classical music in the sample of musical features.

  21. 21.

    Cella, C. (1976). Answer to Alessandro Capelletti. Gong, n. 11 (November): 3–4.

  22. 22.

    Ranzini, G. (1974). ‘A Milano’. Ciao 2001, n. 28 (14 July): 5–6.

  23. 23.

    Marcello and Dulio (no surnames) (1974). ‘La musica delle ragazze’. Ciao 2001, n. 10 (10 March): 5–6.

  24. 24.

    Rotondi, S. (1974). Answer to Ranzini. Ciao 2001, n. 28 (14 July): 5–6.

  25. 25.

    Vittoria A. (no surname) (1974). ‘In difesa delle ragazze’. Ciao 2001, n. 18 (5 May): 5–7.

  26. 26.

    Scarpa, C. (1976). ‘Un delitto non parlarne’. Ciao 2001, n. 8 (29 February): 5–6.

  27. 27.

    Franco (no surname) (1975). ‘Motivo’. Ciao 2001, n. 34/35 (7 September): 5–6.

  28. 28.

    Ragionierei D. (1977). No title. Ciao 2001, n. 4 (30 January): 5–6.

  29. 29.

    Schiuma, G. (1974). ‘I figli di papà’. Ciao 2001, n. 24 (16 June): 6–7.

  30. 30.

    Chiarello, A. (1976). ‘Un mondo fatto di fumo’. Ciao 2001, n. 21 (30 May): 5–6.

  31. 31.

    Rotondi, S. (1974). Answer to Schiuma. Ciao 2001, n. 24 (16 June): 6–7.

  32. 32.

    Rotondi, S. (1976). Answer to Chiarello, Ciao 2001, n. 21 (30 May): 5–6.

  33. 33.

    Silvana (no surname) (1973). ‘Una lettera piena di dignità’. Ciao 2001, n. 45 (11 November): 7–8.

  34. 34.

    Rotondi, S. (1973). Answer to Silvana, Ciao 2001, n. 45 (11 November): 7–8.

  35. 35.

    Un San Babilino [sic] (1976). ‘Solo dei buzzurri’. Ciao 2001, n. 27 (11 July): 5–6.

  36. 36.

    Rotondi, S. (1976). Answer to Un San Babilino. Ciao 2001, n. 27 (11 July): 5–6.

  37. 37.

    Resegotti, R. (1975). No title. Gong, n. 3 (March): 3–7.

  38. 38.

    Grazzini, F. (1975). Answer to Resegotti. Gong, n. 3 (March): 3–7.

  39. 39.

    Padovani, M. (1976). No title. Gong, n. 7–8 (July–August): 3–4.

  40. 40.

    Monica (no surname) (1976). No title. Muzak, n. 9 (January): 6–8.

  41. 41.

    Antonio Piras (1976). ‘Giornalisti e popolo’. Muzak, n. 10 (February): 6–8.

  42. 42.

    Franco (no surname) (1976). ‘Proletario? Si, col cazzo’, Muzak, n. 12 (April): 6–7.

  43. 43.

    Giaime Pintor (1976). Answer to Piras, Muzak, n. 10 (February): 6–8.

  44. 44.

    Editorial Board (1976). Answer to Padovani, Gong, n. 7–8 (July–August): 3–4.

Bibliography

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  • Prieur, A., & Savage, M. (2013). Emerging forms of cultural capital. European Societies, 15(2), 246–267.

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  1. University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

    Simone Varriale

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Varriale, S. (2016). Music Magazines as Alternative Public Spheres. In: Globalization, Music and Cultures of Distinction. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56450-4_8

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