This book investigates the complex relationship between music and the visual imagination, questioning how auditory experiences are translated into visual metaphors and cultural meanings. Franklin, a noted musicologist, draws upon a wide array of historical and theoretical sources to examine how composers, critics, and listeners have historically 'seen' music. He argues that the act of listening is never purely acoustic but is deeply embedded in the visual culture and ideological frameworks of the time.

Experts in musicology recognize this work as a significant contribution to the field of cultural musicology. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the depth of the author's historical research.