Letter on French Music

The "Letter on French Music" stands as one of Rousseau's most controversial and influential contributions to eighteenth-century aesthetic debate. Published in 1753 during the heated musical controversy known as the Querelle des Bouffons, this polemical work represented Rousseau's decisive intervention in the conflict between supporters of French and Italian operatic styles. The letter emerged from Rousseau's growing conviction that French music had become overly complex and artificial, lacking the natural expressiveness that he believed characterized true musical art. His position codified musical theories that had been developing since his youth, particularly following his exposure to Italian sacred music during his time in Turin, which had revealed to him the expressive possibilities that French musical traditions seemed to suppress.

This modern critical reader's translation from the original French manuscripts includes supplementary materials that bring Rousseau's world and impact to life. This professional translation delivers scholarly depth with amplifying materials. This Reader's Edition includes an illuminating afterword tracing Rousseau's intellectual relationship with Diderot, Voltaire and his reception by Nietzsche, revealing the fascinating dialogue between the period's most influential minds. A comprehensive timeline connects the major events of Rousseau's life with world events, an glossary of Enlightenment terminology frames Rousseau's debates in the intellectual milieu of his day, and a detailed index provides an authoritative guide to his complete writings.