Review of Rancière and Music. João Pedro Cachopo, Patrick Nickleson and Chris Stover (eds.). pp. 416. (Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2020. ISBN 978-1-4744-4022-6.)

For those interested in the work of Jacques Rancière, its musical and musicological possibilities, and how these collectively might provoke a range of questions regarding repertories and practices, this is a timely volume. The book contains fourteen substantial essays by an array of international scholars; these are preceded by an introduction and are rounded off with an engaging afterword from Rancière himself, who responds productively to his interpreters. While acknowledging that Rancière rarely focuses directly on music in his writings, the contributors are united in the conviction that an interest in music nevertheless pervades his work tacitly. The book is divided into four sections: ‘Music and Noise’; ‘Politics of History’; ‘Politics of Interaction’; and ‘Encounters and Challenges’. The introduction, which is co-written by the three editors, is a substantial piece in itself. It sets the tone for the volume, offering a number of helpful pointers in reading Rancière and his musical respondents, while also providing an excellent summary of the territory that lies ahead.