The activity of spinning, and the movement and sound of the spinning wheel are common motifs in nineteenth-century music. How successful is this music as a “representation” or “depiction” of spinning? And how does it relate to the socio-cultural context of spinning as a craft, and particularly as women's work?For a more extensive discussion and sources, see L. Muns, Purring and Whirring: Music of the Spinning Wheel.Music excerpts:*Lodewijk Muns, piano