Composers and songwriters Books

Book SynopsisDeals with the lieder which Schubert set to the poetry of Mayrhofer.

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Book SynopsisA brand new insight into R.E.M.'s early years.

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Book Synopsis"Bob Dylan" provides a short introduction to the music of Bob Dylan including an examination of the impact of his work over time and key critical responses. This book starts by locating Dylan's work within a much broader context of the history of the American popular song and its various antecedents, examining how his music draws on a rich heritage of folk, blues, country, r'n'b as well as ballads, standards, nursery rhymes and pop tunes. Focusing on a selection of songs, it examines how his use of words, voice, instruments, melody and timbre, can be understood within the context of various traditions.Much of the writing about Bob Dylan tends to privilege a few recordings, and a limited range of recurring stylistic themes, placing considerable emphasis on Dylan's early career as a 'protest' singer, and then his surrealistic, stream of consciousness mid-1960s music. Yet, the vast majority of Dylan's musical output has been somewhat less radical (but not necessarily less imaginative) and concerned with questions of romantic desire, lust and loss.Negus shows how these thematic concerns are frequently woven into a narrative style that draws from a range of storytelling traditions as diverse as broadside ballads, modern novels and Hollywood cinema. Negus then considers Bob Dylan's enduring impact on new generations of artists in various musical traditions and different parts of the world as well as the influences upon Dylan's changing style and performing identity, from the turn to electric guitars in the 1960s, to the embracing of Christianity and gospel influences in the late 1970s, and increasing explicit use of folk, ballad, blues and country styles in his later work. In assessing some of the key critical responses to Dylan, and in considering his canonisation within a specific popular music tradition, Negus finally asks how claims for Bob Dylan's genius might be assessed. Why is Dylan's work accorded so much value within the popular music canon, and is this justified?Trade ReviewKeith Negus new book is an indispensable primer on Dylans art. Its original, smart, finely written, and concise (but not slight). Highly recommended. Gerry Smith, The Dylan DailyTable of Contents1. Surroundings2. Chronologies3. Traditions4. Lyrics5. MusicAlbum Discography

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Book SynopsisWhen Cream broke up in 1968 it was by no means a foregone conclusion that it would be Eric Clapton who would enjoy continued commercial success. After all, it was Jack Bruce who had the looks, and who co-wrote and sang all the band's major hits, including "Sunshine of Your Love", "I Feel Free" and "White Room". But he was a singular talent who wanted to be a pioneer, not just a pop star, and he was never happy resting on his reputation. Cream split in their prime but their influence endured, and when they reformed in 2005 tickets were selling for nearly GBP 2000 on e-bay. In the 40 years since Cream split Bruce has continued his musical adventures with the likes of John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Carla Bley and Mick Taylor, never quite achieving the success and recognition he deserves. It has been an often troubled life - heroin addiction, management rip-offs, family tragedy, and a failed liver transplant, all of which he speaks about frankly in this book, telling a story that is sometimes funny, sometimes bleak, and always honest.

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Book SynopsisBrian Wilson is a genius. Ever since British press agent Derek Taylor launched a publicity campaign with that theme to promote the landmark LP Pet Sounds in 1966, some variation of that claim has been obligatory when discussing the significance of the Beach Boys' founder and chief composer. Originally designed to liberate Wilson from his outmoded image as a purveyor of sun-and-surf teen pop so the symphonic sophistication of his music might be properly appreciated, the assertion has been repeated so often in the forty-plus years since as to render it virtually meaningless. Indeed, if anything, the label today seems an albatross around the man's neck, inasmuch as Wilson's slow-but-steady reemergence as a working musician since the mid-nineties after three decades of mental illness and drug abuse, has been freighted with expectations that he again produce something as epochal as "Good Vibrations" to justify the adoration he inspires in impassioned defenders. Brian Wilson interrogates this and other paradigms that stymie critical appreciation of Wilson's work both with the Beach Boys and as a solo artist.This is the first study of Wilson to eschew chronology for a topical organization that allows discussion of lyrical themes and musical motifs outside of any prejudicial presumptions about their place in the trajectory of his career. The chapter on lyrics explores questions of quality, asking why the words to Wilson's songs are often considered a detriment, before surveying such tendencies as melancholy and introspection, the conceit of childlike wisdom, his depiction of women, and Americana/nostalgia. The section on music focuses on his falsetto, the famous harmonies, the peculiar whiteness of the Beach Boys' sound, as well as song structure. A final chapter on iconicity asks how rock criticism's investment in auteurship both maintains and limits his reputation. Finally, Curnutt examines what Brian Wilson means to his most fervent fans. Together, these issues emphasize the often overlooked point that, despite his status as a "living legend," Brian Wilson does not always fit neatly into the paradigms of taste and value by which critics grant certain artists entry into the pantheon of pop and rock importance.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: Beyond Biography, Beyond Superlatives Chapter One: 'I Hear the Sound of a Gentle Word': Lyrical Themes and Gestures Chapter Two: 'A Companion for Your Lonely Soul': Musical and Sonic Motifs Chapter Three: 'I'm the Pied Piper': The Peculiar Appeal of Brian Wilson Discography

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Book SynopsisFor ten years between 1965 and 1975, James Brown was the most popular and cutting-edge of any black artist. As one journalist put it, "before Brown, there was music with a beat. After Brown music had found a groove." The drawing out of this "groove," leveraged on "the one," - or the first and third beats of a 4/4 bar, - would provide the key to much of Brown's subsequent musical success and instil within popular music an unprecedented drive that would characterize not only the funk style, but also provide the rhythmic blueprint for dance music up to the present day. This book explores how funk emerged in the mid-1960s at the very apex of the civil rights movement and shows how this music mirrored the broader changes taking place within the African-American community at a crucial political time and continues to this day to underpin remix culture. It traces the extent of the Brown legacy, musically, culturally and otherwise articulating decisive links between Brown's work and the DJ culture that embraced it so emphatically that Brown is now considered to be the most widely sampled African-American recording artist in history; indeed, we seem to have reached a point where many of Brown's refrains - the screams, the horn stabs, the "funky drummer" breakbeats - have been sampled so often as to have seemingly become part of the public domain. Traversing the past forty years of popular music, the book explores how the ubiquitous presence of Brown's groove, the affective and transformative capacities of a grunt or a well-timed "Good God" or punctuating scream take over where language fails and compel even the most sedate listener to take to the floor.Table of Contents1. A Musical Future 2. The Early Years 3. The Soul Era 4. The Foundations of Funk 5. The Godfather of Post-Soul

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Book SynopsisFrom 1958 to 1963, Neil Sedaka sold 25 million records - more than anyone except Elvis Presley. He thought he could do no wrong, but a year later he was all but off the charts, swept away by The Beatles and the British Invasion - a blow he never saw coming. The deejays stopped playing his records, and the public stopped buying them. For 12 agonizing years, Sedaka battled to get back on the charts-back to respectability. He tried everything: working with hip, young songwriters, playing on demo sessions, and even enduring the rough and tumble of working men's clubs in remote corners in the UK. Then, one magical night, he performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London. His new songs, including 'Solitaire,' were greeted with thunderous applause. Shortly thereafter, Elton John, the biggest rock'n'roll star of the decade, stopped by to see him and offered to sign Neil to his new label, Rocket Records. And that was it. In October 1974, 'Laughter In The Rain' showed up at number 95 on Billboard-Sedaka's first appearance on the charts in over a decade. Sixteen weeks later it reached number one, sealing one of the most amazing comebacks in music history. This vivid and authoritative book, written with full access to Sedaka and those closest to him, tells the absorbing story of how he overcame one obstacle after another to become the ultimate rock'n'roll survivor.

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Book SynopsisIt was never easy for Professor Green. Born into a tough Hackney estate and raised by his grandmother, the rapper was always learning the hard way - whether at school, on the streets of east London or on stage during impromptu freestyle battles. Indeed, life and music have always been intertwined for the young rapper, but it wasn't until he was 24 that the two were brought into focus by the suicide of his father - and his emotions, ever since, have been reflected in the raw and often passionate lines of his lyrics. In this wonderful autobiography, Professor Green - a.k.a. Stephen Manderson - reflects on his life so far and how his upbringing and encounters - both good and bad - shaped the person and musician he is today. Passionate, raw and totally open, Lucky is the story of a boy's journey, from life close to the streets, all the while working towards becoming a successful musician, achieving that dream and eventually gaining that success, only to realise it wouldn't quite solve all of his problems...Lucky is accompanied by the exclusive Mix Tape app, which takes you closer to Professor Green and his story.With exclusive digital content for readers to enjoy, this is a rare insight into one of the most exciting and controversial musicians working in music today.

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Book SynopsisAs humanly possible, this book attempts to evaluate every track that Paul McCartney has released on a major label. Thus, the premise of this book: to sift the gems from the chaff and examine what's driven McCartney up and down for fifty years. There are plenty of tracks suitable for casual fans, adolescents, even pre-schoolers. But there are tracks for an older audience too, tracks so good they can supply grown-ups with a rewarding soundtrack for a lifetime. It's these that make for a playlist worth keeping. From 1970 and beyond, the songwriting McCartney seemed to be saddled with a rickety who-cares system that generated iffy results. Gone were ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and ‘Penny Lane’. Instead, came the thought-free ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ and ‘Bip Bop’, songs The Beatles wouldn't have considered for a second. Troubles swarmed around him as he searched for his place. The Beatles had theirs - where was his? Was he overly obsessed with perfection? Maybe. Or was it insecurity? His next record couldn't be a forward-thinking experiment, with sales falling wherever they may. It had to - had to - be a chart topper adored all over the world.

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Book SynopsisIn 1994, Korn’s self-titled debut album marked their arrival. It was dark and brash and it demanded attention, as did their second album in 1996, Life Is Peachy. Good going for a new band, but in 1998, Follow The Leader saw Korn’s success and notoriety accelerate exponentially. With constant demand for the singles, ‘Got The Life’ and ‘Freak On A Leash’ on MTV, Korn exceeded their own expectations. For both the band and their fans, this was the start of something exciting, albeit turbulent. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on Follow The Leader from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Korn’s legacy today.

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Book SynopsisSpanning more than half a century Pink Floyd has rightly earned its place as one of the greatest rock bands of all time. From the early, experimental and often whimsical days with band leader Syd Barrett to the more expansive style with Dave Gilmour onboard, leading to the masterpiece Dark Side Of The Moon that elevated Floyd into the stratosphere. But success came at a price as personal relationships suffered, culminating in break-ups as eventually Roger Waters departed. But stadiums and huge arenas continued to welcome Floyd through the eighties and nineties with a brief reunion with Waters for 2005's Live 8 event. Captured Through Time is a photographic celebration of this truly iconic band that takes you on a journey from the psychedelic, avant-garde sixties to the present day including off stage shots of all band members during the 2000s including Syd Barrett! Many of the photos have never been published before, including a sequence of shots from the Animals tour in 1977 that were developed from the original negatives and digitally restored for this publication — over 100 glorious images of Floyd both on and off stage through the decades are included

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Book SynopsisIn 1970, In Rock marked the studio arrival of Deep Purple MKII. When it came to making a follow-up, times were turbulent and divisive, so much so that there were doubts as to whether Deep Purple would even last! Sandwiched between In Rock and Machine Head, it is hardly surprising that Deep Purple's 1971 album, Fireball, is so often overlooked in comparison. It wasn't an easy time for the band; with demand for more concerts following the success of In Rock, the making of Fireball took over a year and yet, it is an essential album - both in terms of how it documents Deep Purple's progression as a band and in terms of what it offers overall musically. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on Fireball from a range of angles including how it came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Deep Purple's legacy today.

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Book SynopsisAn absurdist buddy story from anonymous collective The Residents.

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Book SynopsisGo behind the scenes with the musician The New York Times called "a guitar God!" Oft-hailed as the Jimi Hendrix of his generation, living guitar legend Joe Satriani has long transcended stylistic boundaries with a sound that raises the bar like a new horizon for the broader genre of instrumental guitar rock. Joe's 6-string secrets have astounded listeners around the world for nearly 30 years. In Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir, Satriani and coauthor, music biographer Jake Brown, take fans on their first authorized tour of the story behind his climb to stardom and the creative odyssey involved in writing and recording a storied catalog of classics including "Surfing with the Alien," "Summer Song," "Satch Boogie," "Always With Me, Always With You," "The Extremist," "Flying in a Blue Dream," "Crowd Chant," and more. Featuring previously unpublished photos and hours of exclusive, firsthand interviews with Satriani, Strange Beautiful Music offers a unique look inside the studio with Joe, giving fans a chance to get up close and personal like never before. With insider details about his collaboration with multi-platinum supergroup Chickenfoot, exclusive interviews with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, commentary from fellow guitar legends such as Steve Vai, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Primus's Larry LaLonde, and legendary music producers including Glynn Johns and the late Andy Johns, this memoir offers a rare inside look for die-hard Satriani fans, guitar enthusiasts, and anyone who loves to rock.Trade Review"Joe has refined his own style of playing to a point where he's forever up there in the stratosphere of excellence that is reached by very few musicians." --Brian May "Every time Joe puts his fingers on a guitar, what comes out sounds like inspired music, even if its just a finger exercise. He created and branded a niche with his own voice and in so doing he wielded an entire genre." --Steve Vai "After all the times I had been on stages with Joe, been on the side of stages watching and listening to Joe, and all the times I have been in the audience cheering for Joe, I continue to have no idea how Joe does what he does." --Robert Fripp "Joe Satriani's my favorite guitar player." --Sammy Hagar

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Book SynopsisYou've heard them on the radio, listened to them on repeat for days, and sang along at the top of your lungs--but have you ever wondered about the real stories behind all your favorite country songs? Nashville Songwriter gives readers the first completely authorized collection of the true stories that inspired hits by the biggest multi-platinum country superstars of the last half century--recounted by the songwriters themselves. Award-winning music biographer Jake Brown gives readers an unprecedented, intimate glimpse inside the world of country music songwriting. Featuring exclusive commentary from country superstars and chapter-length interviews with today's biggest hit-writers on Music Row, this book chronicles the stories behind smash hits such as: Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind" Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying," "Southern Voice," and "Real Good Man" George Jones's "Tennessee Whiskey" Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take the Wheel" and "Cowboy Casanova" Brooks & Dunn's "Ain't Nothing 'Bout You" Lady Antebellum's "We Owned the Night" and "Just a Kiss" Brad Paisley's "Mud on the Tires," "We Danced," and "I'm Still a Guy" Luke Bryan's "Play It Again," "Crash My Party," and "That's My Kind of Night" The Oak Ridge Boys's "American Made" George Strait's "Ocean Front Property" and "The Best Day," Rascal Flatts's "Fast Cars and Freedom," and "Take Me There" Kenny Chesney's "Living in Fast Forward" and "When the Sun Goes Down" Ricochet's "Daddy's Money" Montgomery Gentry's "If You Ever Stop Loving Me" The Crickets's "I Fought the Law" Tom T. Hall's "A Week in a County Jail" and "That Song Is Driving Me Crazy" Trace Adkins's "You're Gonna Miss This" David Lee Murphy's "Dust on the Bottle" Jason Aldean's "Big Green Tractor" and "Fly Over States" And many more top country hits over the past 40 years!Trade Review"Nashville Songwriter is an outstanding read from cover to cover. If you have any interest at all in what goes on behind the scenes in the songwriting business, you need to read this book." --American Songwriter Magazine "You know the words, but do you know the story behind them? In a new book, Nashville Songwriter, music biographer Jake Brown interviews elite country songwriters 'to get the true stories behind country music's biggest and most enduring hits.'" --Parade Magazine "With back stories on such titles as Willie Nelson's "Always On My Mind," Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying," the book puts songwriters in the spotlight, including artist-writers Bill Anderson, Tom T. Hall and David Lee Murphy, as well as such full-time authors as Neil Thrasher ("Fly Over States"), Tom Shapiro ("Ain't Nothing 'Bout You"), Dallas Davidson ("Play It Again") and Dean Dillon ("Ocean Front Property")." --Billboard Country

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Book SynopsisGo behind the scenes with the musician The New York Times called "a guitar God!"Oft-hailed as the Jimi Hendrix of his generation, living guitar legend Joe Satriani has long transcended stylistic boundaries with a sound that raises the bar like a new horizon for the broader genre of instrumental guitar rock. Joe's 6-string secrets have astounded listeners around the world for nearly 30 years.In Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir, Satriani and coauthor, music biographer Jake Brown, take fans on their first authorized tour of the story behind his climb to stardom and the creative odyssey involved in writing and recording a storied catalog of classics including "Surfing with the Alien," "Summer Song," "Satch Boogie," "Always With Me, Always With You," "The Extremist," "Flying in a Blue Dream," "Crowd Chant," and more.Featuring previously unpublished photos and hours of exclusive, firsthand interviews with Satriani, Strange Beautiful Music offers a unique look inside the studio with Joe, giving fans a chance to get up close and personal like never before. With insider details about his collaboration with multi-platinum supergroup Chickenfoot, exclusive interviews with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, commentary from fellow guitar legends such as Steve Vai, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Primus's Larry LaLonde, and legendary music producers including Glynn Johns and the late Andy Johns, this memoir offers a rare inside look for die-hard Satriani fans, guitar enthusiasts, and anyone who loves to rock.Trade Review"Joe has refined his own style of playing to a point where he's forever up there in the stratosphere of excellence that is reached by very few musicians."—Brian May"Every time Joe puts his fingers on a guitar, what comes out sounds like inspired music, even if its just a finger exercise. He created and branded a niche with his own voice and in so doing he wielded an entire genre."—Steve Vai"After all the times I had been on stages with Joe, been on the side of stages watching and listening to Joe, and all the times I have been in the audience cheering for Joe, I continue to have no idea how Joe does what he does."—Robert Fripp"Joe Satriani's my favorite guitar player."—Sammy HagarTable of ContentsForeword Chapter 1: The Hendrix Experience Chapter 2: High School Confidential Chapter 3: Learning Curves Chapter 4: Satch Goes West Chapter 5: Twists of Fate—The Joe Satriani EP, 1983–1984 Chapter 6: Not of This Earth—1985–1986 Chapter 7: Relativity Chapter 8: Surfing with the Alien—1987 Chapter 9: Launching the Silver Surfer Chapter 10: Flying in a Blue Dream—1989 Chapter 11: The Bearsville Experiment Chapter 12: The Extremist—1992 Chapter 13: Eponymous—1995 Chapter 14: G3/Crystal Planet—1997 Chapter 15: Engines of Creation—2000 Chapter 16: Strange Beautiful Music—2002 Chapter 17: Is There Love in Space?—2004 Chapter 18: Super Colossal—2006 Chapter 19: Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock—2008 Chapter 20: Chickenfoot I—2009 Chapter 21: Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards—2010 Chapter 22: Chickenfoot III—2011/2012 Chapter 23: Unstoppable Momentum—2013 Chapter 24: Shockwave Supernova—2016 Conclusion: 2017 and Beyond The Gear: Album by Album Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisThis is a gripping read that works on several levels. It''s the sliding-door story of someone who might have become a world-famous pop star had he not suffered from a severe phobic disorder.It''s the story of an assortment of young musicians trying to find their feet as bands in the late 70s and early 80s with the associated euphoria and craziness of that life.It''s Mike''s story of struggling with agoraphobia and eventually finding a way through. Told in Mike''s own words this is also a loving evocation of a 50s and 60s New Zealand childhood, and a beautifully written memoir that will resonate with anyone who loves a well-told story.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the artistic principles of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, his concert activities, his art of piano playing, as well as his pedagogy and his attitude towards his students. The author presents the biographical data of the artist as well as the list of his recordings and introduces this extraordinary artist to a wider audience, especially to admirers of beautiful music and its performers. The book aims at encouraging in particular the young to follow the high artistic principles required in such a refined and unique art.Table of ContentsContents: How I Met Michelangeli – Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli at Close Quarters – Artistic Views and Principles – Concert Activity – The Repertoire and its Preparation – Michelangeli’s Performance Art and Playing Style – Michelangeli’s Teaching Method – Our Maestro and His Pupils – Michelangeli’s Pianistic Art: Top Achievement of Contemporary Musical Performance Culture – A Few Biographical Notes on Michelangeli – Major Recordings Authorized by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.

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Book SynopsisNot a biography in the traditional sense, this book is a consideration of De Leeuw's thoughts and composition, first and foremost by the composer himself. A comprehensive world view is at the root of De Leeuw's musical conceptions made apparent by his travel diaries and his reflections on the social and cultural relationship between the East and West. The book's various authors view the composer's work against the background of their own widely divergent disciplines: contemporary music, non-Western music, music therapy, and intercultural developments.

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Book SynopsisOne of the twentieth century's greatest composers, Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) virtually stopped writing music during the last thirty years of his life. Focusing on different parts of Sibelius' life, the author explores the composer's formative experiences as a Russian subject and a member of the Swedish-speaking Finnish minority.Trade Review"Until now, classical music listeners have not had an adequate context in which to place Sibelius's well-known and much-performed works. With Sibelius, Glenda Dawn Goss treats us to a panoramic view of the relevant Finnish background. This is idiosyncratic music from an idiosyncratic place, and Goss provides a generous overview of both. Unabashedly interpretive, this is a comprehensive and compelling look at a major composer and the culture he both influenced and drew upon. Essential reading for all Sibelians." (James Hepokoski, Yale University)"

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Book SynopsisIn this remarkable history of one of the most popular symphonic works of the modern period, Esteban Buch traces the complex and contradictory uses - and abuses - of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony since its premiere in 1824.

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Book SynopsisWhen we think of composers like Mozart or Beethoven, we usually envision an isolated artist separate from the orchestra. For most of Japan's musical history, however, no such role existed - composition and performance were deeply intertwined. This book offers fresh insights not just into Japanese music but Japanese modernity at large.Trade Review"In this highly original book, Bonnie C. Wade skillfully presents a complicated story by weaving together the connections between political conditions, cultural environments, and social expectations. By focusing on these connections between social domains, she establishes a dynamic scene that cannot easily be captured by single concepts such as modernization, westernization, or globalization. She provides a study that is as much about composers, music organizations, and social history as it is about the making of Japanese musical modernity-a process that is still ongoing." (Frederick Lau, University of Hawaii at Manoa)"

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Book SynopsisOffers a study of Verdi's operas in Florence in 1859, in the middle of the composer's career. This title features a systematic examination of Verdi's operas, it covered the twenty works produced between 1842 and 1857 - from Nabucco and Macbeth to Il trovatore, La traviata, and Aroldo.Trade Review"Abramo Basevi's The Operas of Giuseppe Verdi represents an extraordinary testimony to a new and important way of writing music criticism in mid-nineteenth-century Italy, and Basevi's terminology and expressions have served as the foundations for influential analytical methods. This translation is polished, elegant, and eminently accessible to a modern reader." -Francesco Izzo, University of Southampton Abramo Basevi (1818-85) was a composer, music promoter, scholar, and critic who played a major role in the cultural life of nineteenth-century Florence. He published extensively on music and philosophy and founded the periodical L'armonia, in which his study of Verdi's operas first appeared. Edward Schneider studied music at Oxford and has translated several books on music and cooking. Stefano Castelvecchi is a lecturer in music at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of St John's College, Cambridge. He is the editor of critical editions of works by Rossini and Verdi and the author of Sentimental Opera: Questions of Genre in the Age of Bourgeois Drama."

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Book SynopsisDuring the middle phase of his career, Guiseppe Verdi adopted new compositional procedures to create some of his best-known works. Focusing on the operas he composed during this period, this volume explores Verdi's work from three interlinked perspectives.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction: Toward an Understanding of Verdi's Middle Period Martin Chusid 1: New Sources for Stiffelio: A Preliminary Report Philip Gossett 2: Compositional Techniques in Stiffelio: Reading the Autograph Sources Kathleen Kuzmick Hansell 3: "A Monk and At Least Some New Things": Verdi, Cammarano, and L'assedio di Firenze Carlo Matteo Mossa 4: "Insolite forme," or Basevi's Garden Path Roger Parker 5: Ottocento Opera as Cultural Drama: Generic Mixtures in Il trovatore James Hepokoski 6: "Something's Been Done to Make Room for Choruses": Choral Conception and Choral Construction in Luisa Miller Markus Engelhardt 7: A New Source for El trovador and Its Implications for the Tonal Organization of Il trovatore Martin Chusid 8: "Proud, Indomitable, Irascible": Allegories of Nation in Attila and Les Vepres siciliennes Mary Ann Smart 9: Masking Music: A Reconsideration of Light and Shade in Un ballo in maschera Elizabeth Hudson 10: "La dama velata": Act II of Un ballo in maschera Harold Powers 11: Meter, Character, and Tinta in Verdi's Operas David Rosen 12: Aspects of Tempo in Verdi's Early and Middle-Period Italian Operas Roberta Montemorra Marvin 13: The Violin Director and Verdi's Middle-Period Operas Linda B. Fairtile List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisDuring the middle phase of his career, Guiseppe Verdi adopted new compositional procedures to create some of his best-known works. Focusing on the operas he composed during this period, this volume explores Verdi's work from three interlinked perspectives.

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