Music, History, and the Fugue

In Leo Tolstoy’s work War and Peace, the author attempts to write a history while exploring what history is. As Italian writer Nicola Chiaromonte puts it, “The novel was to be not only historical, but about history.” One way through which the reader can see Tolstoy’s understanding of history in this novel is by following the role of art, and in particular, the role of music.