In this classic work, Adorno revolutionized music theory through an analysis of two composers he saw as polar opposites, Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky. Philosophy of Modern Music presents a profound study of key musical works of the twentieth century. But it is more than this because, as always with Adorno, a wide range of social and cultural questions are brought to bear on the analysis. In many ways, Philosophy of Modern Music is a product of Adorno's exile in the United States, where he wrote the book while National Socialism fell apart in his European homeland.

在这部经典作品中，阿多诺通过分析他认为是极端对立的两位作曲家阿诺德·勋伯格和伊戈尔·斯特拉文斯基，彻底改变了音乐理论。 现代音乐哲学对二十世纪的重要音乐作品进行了深入的研究。 但这还不止这些，因为和阿多诺一样，分析涉及广泛的社会和文化问题。 在许多方面，现代音乐哲学是阿多诺流亡美国的产物，他在那里写了这本书，而国家社会主义在他的欧洲祖国瓦解。