The Lost Steps and the theories about the origin of music

Abstract

This article goes through the different theories about the origin of music from one of the most famous writings The Lost Steps of Alejo Carpentier. It explains the points of view that go from Aristotle until the latest theories of ethnomusicology, going over a more-less detailed study of the opinions of Rousseau, Diderot, Fetis, and Schaeffner among others.