Composers and songwriters Books

Book SynopsisTracing the history of musical modernism in Italy from the fin de siècle to the Cold War, this book follows the work of Luigi Dallapiccola, the leading Italian composer of the mid-twentieth century, as he moved from support for the fascist regime to a committed resistance to totalitarianism.Table of ContentsPreface; 1. Modernism before fascism; 2. The true spirit of Italian music; 3. Fascist modernism; 4. Protest music?; 5. The politics of commitment.

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Book SynopsisDuke Ellington (18991974) is widely considered the jazz tradition''s most celebrated composer. This engaging yet scholarly volume explores his long career and his rich cultural legacy from a broad range of in-depth perspectives, from the musical and historical to the political and international. World-renowned scholars and musicians examine Ellington''s influence on jazz music, its criticism, and its historiography. The chronological structure of the volume allows a clear understanding of the development of key themes, with chapters surveying his work and his reception in America and abroad. By both expanding and reconsidering the contexts in which Ellington, his orchestra, and his music are discussed, Duke Ellington Studies reflects a wealth of new directions that have emerged in jazz studies, including focuses on music in media, class hierarchy discourse, globalization, cross-cultural reception, and the role of marketing, as well as manuscript score studies and performance studies.Trade Review'Few publications among the literature on Duke Ellington to have appeared in recent years … can claim to have shed as much light on their subject as the impressive collection of essays assembled by John Howland for his new symposium, Duke Ellington Studies.' Mervyn Cooke, Music and LettersTable of Contents1. Ellington the entertainer: pageantry and prophecy in Duke Ellington's films Phil Ford; 2. Marketing to the middlebrow: reconsidering Ellingtonia, the legacy of early Ellington criticism, and the idea of a 'serious' jazz composer John Howland; 3. 'Art or debauchery?': the reception of Ellington in the UK Catherine Tackley; 4. 'Nobody was looking': the unparalleled jazz piano legacy of Duke Ellington Bill Dobbins; 5. 'People wrap their lunches in them': Duke Ellington and his written music manuscripts Walter van de Leur; 6. The moor's revenge: the politics of Such Sweet Thunder David Schiff; 7. Duke Ellington in the LP era Gabriel Solis; 8. Authentic synthetic hybrid: Ellington's concepts of Africa and its music Carl Woideck; 9. 'The mother of all albums': revisiting Ellington's A Drum is a Woman John Wriggle.

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Book SynopsisFelix Mendelssohn has long been viewed as one of the most historically minded composers in western music. This book explores the conceptions of time, memory and history found in his instrumental compositions, presenting an intriguing new perspective on his ever-popular music. Focusing on Mendelssohn''s innovative development of cyclic form, Taylor investigates how the composer was influenced by the aesthetic and philosophical movements of the period. This is of key importance not only for reconsideration of Mendelssohn''s work and its position in nineteenth-century culture, but also more generally concerning the relationship between music, time and subjectivity. One of very few detailed accounts of Mendelssohn''s music, the study presents a new and provocative reading of the meaning of the composer''s work by connecting it to wider cultural and philosophical ideas.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The idea of cyclic form; 2. Musical history and self-consciousness: the Octet, Op. 20; 3. Returning home: the E major Piano Sonata, Op. 6; 4. In search of lost time: the A minor Quartet, Op. 13; 5. Overcoming the past: the E flat Quartet, Op. 12; 6. Cyclicism in Mendelssohn's mature music.

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Book SynopsisGraham Griffiths places Stravinsky's reinvention in the early 1920s, as both neoclassical composer and concert-pianist, at the centre of a fundamental reconsideration of the composer's entire output - viewed from the unprecedented perspective of his relationship with the piano.Trade Review'… an eloquently written monograph that traces the influence of Stravinsky's pianism on his compositional process … Stravinsky's Piano is a resounding success that will be celebrated by the Stravinsky community for years to come.' Music and Letters'This is a well-written, engaging book that delves into technical discussion of compositional processes while remaining eminently readable … Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and professionals.' K. Boyd, Choice'With this extremely readable book, Griffiths has made a significant contribution to Stravinsky research. His focus on the concept of 'pal'tserazvitiye' is particularly fascinating. His next research project is eagerly awaited.' Mai Ikehara, Ongakugaku: Journal of the Musicological Society of JapanTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Becoming a Russian musician; 2. Becoming a neoclassicist; 3. Stravinsky's piano workshop; 4. Departures and homecomings; Conclusions.

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Book SynopsisIan Woodfield discusses the central role played by the Prague Italian opera company in performing Mozart's works in late eighteenth-century Bohemia and Saxony. The book focuses on the organisation of the company, its annual schedules, recruitment networks, casting policies and repertoire selections.Trade Review'No less noticeable than (Woodfield's) scholarly rigour are many signs of his capacity for intriguing speculation and lateral thinking.' Early MusicTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Pasquale Bondini; 2. Die Entführung aus dem Serail; 3. The Italian troupe in Prague; 4. The Prague Figaro; 5. The genesis of Don Giovanni; 6. The première of Don Giovanni; 7. The casting of Don Giovanni; 8. The Leipzig Don Giovanni; 9. The 1788 Prague Don Giovanni; 10. Mozart's music in Leipzig; 11. Josepha Duschek's Academy (22 April 1788); 12. Mozart's Academy (12 May 1789); 13. Guardasoni in Warsaw; 14. The première of La clemenza di Tito; 15. The Leipzig reception of the Da Ponte operas (1792–4); 16. Guardasoni diversifies; Conclusion; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisIn 1991 Clinton Heylin published what was considered the most definitive biography of Bob Dylan available. In 2001 he completely revised and reworked this hugely acclaimed book, adding new sections, substantially reworking text, and bringing the story up-to-date with Dylan''s explosive career in 2000. Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades Revisited follows the story of Dylan from his humble beginnings in Minnesota to his arrival in New York in 1961, his subsequent rise in the folk pantheon of Greenwich Village in the early ''60s, and his cataclysmic folk-rock metamorphosis at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. In the succeeding eighteen months, Dylan released Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde, and embarked on the legendary 1966 World Tour that culminated with an unforgettable concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Heylin details it all, along with the true story of Dylan''s motorcycle accident, his remarkable reemergence in the mid-''70s, the only exacting account of his controversial conversion to born-again Christianity, the Neverending Tour, and yet another incredible Dylan resurgence with his 1997 Grammy Album of the Year Award-winning Time Out of Mind.Deemed by The New Yorker as the most readable and reliable of all Dylan biographies, this book will give fans what they have always wanted -- a chance to get to know the man behind the shades.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An unprecedented portrait of Jones' inner life." -- Salon "Monk captures [ODB's] charisma and charm, but also the joy and pain that fame brought [him], as well as the drugs, the women and the demise. It's a great work in honor of an individual who tried to walk the best line he could." -- Ebony "Cuts through the urban legends to present more complex sides to the infamous icon." -- i.-D. Magazine "An eye-witness account about the life and times of the larger-than-life character." -- Philadelphia City Paper "Monk is a genial narrator and provides an authentic look at the N.Y.C. hip-hop scene [and] a unique perspective on the troubled life of an intriguing artist." -- Publishers Weekly "Everywhere Ol' Dirty Bastard went, Buddha Monk was there. Buddha was Dirty's hype man on stage, and he helped protect him on tour when Dirty didn't have any security. Buddha was everything to Dirty." -- Icelene Jones, Dirty's widow "Dirty and Buddha were the twin towers. There ain't no Brooklyn Zu without them. It was rare to see Dirty do a show without Buddha Monk." -- Hell Razah of Sunz of Man "Provides a unique perspective [and an] entertaining, insightful portrait ... For even a casual hip-hop fan, The Dirty Version is an easy and enlightening read. And for true hip-hop heads, this is some essential stuff. Word is bond." -- Winnipeg Free Press Hlarious, profound, entertaining, and inspiring ... One of the most interesting and unpredictable biographies I've ever read. The Dirty Version travels light-years beyond ODB's shocking headlines to illustrate the relentless humanity of a free loving American icon. -- MK Asante, author of BUCK: A MEMOIR "Buddha Monk and Dirty were like Batman and Robin. Buddha wore many hats - he was an engineer, hype man, bouncer, and bodyguard. As long as I've been working with my cousins in Wu-Tang, Buddha Monk was there. I can't remember a time when he wasn't." -- John "Mook" Gibbons, founder and CEO of Wu-Tang Management and cousin to RZA, GZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An intellectual autobiography that beautifully captures what it feels like when a cultural experience trapdoors you into a new life." -- Grantland "To read Going Into the City is to spend hours in the company of a completely sui generis critical mind, one that's not only encyclopedically knowledgeable about mid-to-late 20th-century pop culture but capable of lapidary prose, astute insight, and savage wit." -- Slate "A New York love story like no other-the greatest of rock & roll writers spends a lifetime devoted to a city ... as caustic and confrontational as a Clash single, yet as sustaining as an Al Green LP-a story as instantly memorable as Robert Christgau's voice." -- Rob Sheffield, author of Turn Around Bright Eyes and Love is a Mix Tape "I've waited years for this book. An intellectual bildungsroman in which one of our keenest cultural critics unpacks his own New York story alongside ... the evolution of pop music criticism-an artform that owes him more than anyone." -- Will Hermes, author of Love Goes To Buildings On Fire: Five Years In New York That Changed Music Forever "Going Into the City is at once a vivid reminder of one of New York's golden ages and a blessed glimpse into the forming mind of one of our great critics. Both hilarious and full of juicy detail ... in that utterly inimitable voice." -- Ann Powers, Author of Weird Like Us: My Bohemian America and, with the artist, Tori Amos: Piece By Piece "Soul satisfying ...Vintage Christgau here-wise, sharp, funny, rigorous, and genuinely searching, a mighty work of reflection by a major critic who has never turned his back on the pop lives of everyday people." -- Eric Lott, author of Love and Theft "Brimming with insight." -- Robert Hilburn, author of Johnny Cash: A Life "Christgau is the last true-blue record critic on earth. [He's] pretty much who I make my records for. He's ... the last of that whole Lester Bangs generation of record reviewers, and I still heed his words." -- ?uestlove "Often maddening, always thought-provoking ... With Pauline Kael, Christgau is arguably one of the two most important American mass-culture critics of the second half of the 20th century." -- -Jody Rosen "An excellent memoir ... full of rock-critic lore, with vivid cameo appearances by titans like Greil Marcus, Lester Bangs, and Ellen Willis ... Christgau writes with contagious insight about the records, novels, movies and paintings that have shaped his thinking." -- Rolling Stone "Christgau is among America's first and best rock critics." -- New York Times "With the possible exception of his friend Greil Marcus, no American music writer has exerted more influence over the tastes of rock music "consumers" (as he'd insist on calling them) and on the craft of other rock critics." -- Los Angeles Times "A personal bildungsroman . . [he] brought to a relatively disrespected popular genre in the 1960s and '70s a new degree of critical intensity and erudition, delivered with an American vernacular energy and wit and let-it-fly opinionatedness." -- Los Angeles Review of Books "From growing up ... to formulating his critical process in the Lower East Side of the 1960s, Christgau takes as rigorous an analytical approach as he does with his reviewing. It's as much a memoir of the development of his editorial sensibility as it is of his life." -- Brooklyn Magazine "Remarkable in its unflagging conviction that the disciplined attention a critic applies to art ought to apply to the self as well ... Also, it's funny and has a lot of sex and music in it." -- Christian Science Monitor "Saying something new and distinctive, even about art that's derivative and undistinguished, is a critic's perennial challenge. Christgau embraces it with undimming energy, his diction swerving between the academy and the street, his sentences unspooling and spilling references without waiting for you to catch them." -- The Guardian "Song titles, political movements, and aesthetic notions, in particular Christgau's restless, kaleidoscopic portrait of the late '60s ... What makes good criticism work, Christgau argues, is 'a brew of genre knowledge, general knowledge, aesthetic insight, moral passion, palpable delight, prose style, more prose style, and what-have-you.'" -- Boston Globe "Honest, detailed, stirring and sweet. And isn't that how all the best love songs should be?" -- Time "Here ... Christgau proves his essentiality with sharp insights and a profound take on popular culture." -- Booklist "Like his reviews, this is compelling, thoughtful and, of course, opinionated." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune "A deeply smart, charmingly gregarious read." -- New York magazine

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An intellectual autobiography that beautifully captures what it feels like when a cultural experience trapdoors you into a new life." -- Grantland "To read Going Into the City is to spend hours in the company of a completely sui generis critical mind, one that's not only encyclopedically knowledgeable about mid-to-late 20th-century pop culture but capable of lapidary prose, astute insight, and savage wit." -- Slate "A New York love story like no other-the greatest of rock & roll writers spends a lifetime devoted to a city ... as caustic and confrontational as a Clash single, yet as sustaining as an Al Green LP-a story as instantly memorable as Robert Christgau's voice." -- Rob Sheffield, author of Turn Around Bright Eyes and Love is a Mix Tape "I've waited years for this book. An intellectual bildungsroman in which one of our keenest cultural critics unpacks his own New York story alongside ... the evolution of pop music criticism-an artform that owes him more than anyone." -- Will Hermes, author of Love Goes To Buildings On Fire: Five Years In New York That Changed Music Forever "Going Into the City is at once a vivid reminder of one of New York's golden ages and a blessed glimpse into the forming mind of one of our great critics. Both hilarious and full of juicy detail ... in that utterly inimitable voice." -- Ann Powers, Author of Weird Like Us: My Bohemian America and, with the artist, Tori Amos: Piece By Piece "Soul satisfying ...Vintage Christgau here-wise, sharp, funny, rigorous, and genuinely searching, a mighty work of reflection by a major critic who has never turned his back on the pop lives of everyday people." -- Eric Lott, author of Love and Theft "Brimming with insight." -- Robert Hilburn, author of Johnny Cash: A Life "Christgau is the last true-blue record critic on earth. [He's] pretty much who I make my records for. He's ... the last of that whole Lester Bangs generation of record reviewers, and I still heed his words." -- ?uestlove "Often maddening, always thought-provoking ... With Pauline Kael, Christgau is arguably one of the two most important American mass-culture critics of the second half of the 20th century." -- -Jody Rosen "An excellent memoir ... full of rock-critic lore, with vivid cameo appearances by titans like Greil Marcus, Lester Bangs, and Ellen Willis ... Christgau writes with contagious insight about the records, novels, movies and paintings that have shaped his thinking." -- Rolling Stone "Christgau is among America's first and best rock critics." -- New York Times "With the possible exception of his friend Greil Marcus, no American music writer has exerted more influence over the tastes of rock music "consumers" (as he'd insist on calling them) and on the craft of other rock critics." -- Los Angeles Times "A personal bildungsroman . . [he] brought to a relatively disrespected popular genre in the 1960s and '70s a new degree of critical intensity and erudition, delivered with an American vernacular energy and wit and let-it-fly opinionatedness." -- Los Angeles Review of Books "From growing up ... to formulating his critical process in the Lower East Side of the 1960s, Christgau takes as rigorous an analytical approach as he does with his reviewing. It's as much a memoir of the development of his editorial sensibility as it is of his life." -- Brooklyn Magazine "Remarkable in its unflagging conviction that the disciplined attention a critic applies to art ought to apply to the self as well ... Also, it's funny and has a lot of sex and music in it." -- Christian Science Monitor "Saying something new and distinctive, even about art that's derivative and undistinguished, is a critic's perennial challenge. Christgau embraces it with undimming energy, his diction swerving between the academy and the street, his sentences unspooling and spilling references without waiting for you to catch them." -- The Guardian "Song titles, political movements, and aesthetic notions, in particular Christgau's restless, kaleidoscopic portrait of the late '60s ... What makes good criticism work, Christgau argues, is 'a brew of genre knowledge, general knowledge, aesthetic insight, moral passion, palpable delight, prose style, more prose style, and what-have-you.'" -- Boston Globe "Honest, detailed, stirring and sweet. And isn't that how all the best love songs should be?" -- Time "Here ... Christgau proves his essentiality with sharp insights and a profound take on popular culture." -- Booklist "Like his reviews, this is compelling, thoughtful and, of course, opinionated." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune "A deeply smart, charmingly gregarious read." -- New York magazine

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Book SynopsisQueen of Bebop brilliantly chronicles the life of jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, one of the most influential and innovative musicians of the twentieth century and a pioneer of women’s and civil rightsSarah Vaughan, a pivotal figure in the formation of bebop, influenced a broad array of singers who followed in her wake, yet the breadth and depth of her impact—not just as an artist, but also as an African-American woman—remain overlooked.  Drawing from a wealth of sources as well as on exclusive interviews with Vaughan’s friends and former colleagues, Queen of Bebop unravels the many myths and misunderstandings that have surrounded Vaughan while offering insights into this notoriously private woman, her creative process, and, ultimately, her genius. Hayes deftly traces the influence that Vaughan’s singing had on the perception and appreciation of vocalists—not to mention women—in jazz. She reveals how, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Vaughan helped desegregate American airwaves, opening doors for future African-American artists seeking mainstream success, while also setting the stage for the civil rights activism of the 1960s and 1970s. She follows Vaughan from her hometown of Newark, New Jersey, and her first performances at the Apollo, to the Waldorf Astoria and on to the world stage, breathing life into a thrilling time in American music nearly lost to us today.Equal parts biography, criticism, and good old-fashioned American success story, Queen of Bebop is the definitive biography of a hugely influential artist. This absorbing and sensitive treatment of a singular personality updates and corrects the historical record on Vaughan and elevates her status as a jazz great.

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Book SynopsisThe perfect gift for music lovers and Neil Young fans, telling the story behind Neil Young's legendary career and his iconic, beloved songs. “I think I will have to use my time wisely and keep my thoughts straight if I am to succeed and deliver the cargo I so carefully have carried thus far to the outer reaches.”—Neil Young, from Waging Heavy Peace   Legendary singer and songwriter Neil Young’s storied career has spanned over forty years and yielded some of the modern era’s most enduring music. Now for the first time ever, Young reflects upon his life—from his Canadian childhood, to his part in the sixties rock explosion with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, through his later career with Crazy Horse and numerous private challenges. An instant classic, Waging Heavy Peace is as uncompromising and unforgettable as the man himself.

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Book SynopsisJean Sibelius (1865-1957) is one of the twentieth century's greatest composers. This biography explores the composer's formative experiences as a Russian subject and a member of the Swedish-speaking Finnish minority. It traces Sibelius' relationships with his creative contemporaries, with whom he worked to usher in a golden age of music and art.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 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 SynopsisMusic's inclusivity - its potential to unite cultures, disciplines, and individuals - defined the life and career of Lou Harrison (1917-2003). Beyond studying with leading composers of the avant-garde such as Henry Cowell and Arnold Schoenberg, Harrison has achieved fame for his distinctive blending of cultures. This title gives his portrait.Trade Review"A loving, but not uncritical, introduction to the man and his music."--TLS"Concise, well-written biography. . . . Recommended."--Choice"Leta Miller and Fredric Lieberman have . . . created the ideal introduction to the composer and his music."--Music and Letters

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Book SynopsisA bold innovator who redefined contemporary operaTrade Review"Gann's book is a survey of Western tuning, and it does not suffer at all from so little inclusion of non-Western music. . . . The history of theory presented throughout the book is thorough and engaging." --Notes"Gann's new book, without removing any of the essential mystery of the work, ably lays bare Ashley's immense achievement: the discovery of a new paradigm for opera."--MAKE magazine"Gann makes a persuasive case that Ashley's genius resides in his acute perception of speech as music, and in his rare ability to draw American language into constellations that not only embody musical form but touch listeners in intimate and profound ways."--The Wire "There is unlikely to be a better book that, confined by the limitations of mere words, can provide a comprehensive review of the many things Ashley has achieved. A real page-turner"--Examiner.com"Robert Ashley is one of the great living American composers, and Kyle Gann is one of the most active and vital commentators on the wider scene of which Ashley is a part. Informative and entertaining, occasionally even shocking, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in Ashley, his life and times, and his music."--Bob Gilmore, musicologist, editor of Ben Johnston's "Maximum Clarity" and Other Writings on Music

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Book SynopsisThe first in-depth look at a highly innovative jazz iconTrade Review“Beal’s prose is often lyrical and always dynamic, she instantly finds the appropriate pacing for the narrative and, just as quickly, demonstrates deep knowledge of and affection for her subject.”--Popmatters "Amy C. Beal responds with alacrity and intellectual force to the challenge of contextualizing the work of this uniquely important, yet academically underexplored twentieth-century American composer-performer. An important and salutary work that greatly enriches the field of jazz studies."--George E. Lewis, author of A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music"Accurate and kind, Carla Bley reveals with remarkable effectiveness the anatomy of the successive moments of Bley's musical life."--Clarin"Excellent."--New Yorker"Beal ... expertly contextualizes Bley's career within the landscapes of emergent avant-garde, free jazz, and experimental music while also exploring her creative relationships with the legendary Steve Swallow, Charlie Haden, and others. . . . Readers and researchers interested in women composers, American music history, music theory, or jazz from 1950 to the present will find this book invaluable."--Library Journal“Beal could have easily written a biography three or four times longer than the present volume. But it would be a mistake to consider Carla Bley something of a half-loaf, as it is more than enough to set the record straight.”--The Wire“Carla Bley is a marvel of concision, packing biography, musicology and cogent, descriptive analysis of her major work in barely 100 pages.”--Shepherd Express "An intelligent and sensitive compositional history of Carla Bley's music. Amy C. Beal honors Bley's famous humor and autodidactism without compromising a serious analysis of Bley's compositions over a very long and distinguished career."--Sherrie Tucker, coeditor of Big Ears: Listening for Gender in Jazz StudiesTable of ContentsList of Figures; Acknowledgements Introduction: "Like a Mockingbird"; 1. Walking Woman: Oakland, New York, Los Angeles, New York; 2. Sing Me Softly of the Blues: Early Short Pieces and Songs Without Words; 3. Social Studies: The Jazz Composers Guild and The Jazz Composers Orchestra; 4. "Mad at Jazz": A Genuine Tong Funeral; 5. Escalator Over the Hill: Jazz Opera as Fusion; 6. Copyright Royalties: New Music Distribution Service; 7: Big Band Theory: The Carla Bley Band and Other Projects; 8: The Lone Arranger: History and Hilarity; 9: End of Vienna: Fancy Chamber Music; 10. Dreams So Real: "Jazz is Where My Heart Now Lies" Notes; Suggested Listening; Sources; Index

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Book SynopsisRichly historical portraits of five exceptional women musiciansTrade Review"A welcome contribution to the literature on women in music. Richly contextualized and engagingly written, Porter's book offers portraits of five women who lived lives full of music and whose music should enliven our concert halls more."--Anne MacNeil, author of Music and Women of the Commedia dell'Arte in the Late Sixteenth Century"An engaging book that draws readers into deep consideration of the complexities facing women—then and now—who forge careers in music. Highly recommended."--Choice

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Book SynopsisBreaking the gender barrier inside a world-class orchestraTrade Review"Transforms into a riveting tale that spans the period from Phillip's audition to the second World War. Recommended."--Library Journal"Welsh's book is pure gold."--Philadelphia Inquirer"Edna Phillips's story is significant and worth telling, and this work relates the trials, tribulations, and successes of this woman pioneer in orchestral performance. Set against the background of some of the prominent musicians of the twentieth century, One Woman in a Hundred will appeal to many general readers and music lovers."--J. Michele Edwards, professor emerita of music, Macalester College"There isn't a dull word in this book, which is difficult to put down once one opens it."--San Francisco Book Review"Welsh has produced a richly detailed biography that captures the insider's knowledge and unique voice of her subject. . . . thoroughly engaging."--SymphonyNow"The book was not only informative about both the personal and professional lives of Edna Phillips, but also about the inner workings of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and institution with much more drama and excitement than most would think."--The Villanovan"Welsh's book is filled with substantive detail about the life of a serious musician, along with anecdotes about colorful guest conductors. . . .Phillips's biography becomes in effect a history of the Philadelphia Orchestra from Phillips's perspective."--BroadStreetReview"A refreshing addition to the literature on women in music history. One Woman in a Hundred candidly shares the experience of one woman who broke gender barriers during a significant period in the U.S. and Western Europe. Finding herself at the nexus of the powerful social and artistic elite of the day, Edna Phillips contributed greatly to the musical world through her performances and commissions."--Ann Yeung, editor of World Harp Congress Review "Women playing in an orchestra? Unimaginable. Until Edna Phillips, just out of conservatory, innocently—but staunchly—took the stage with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The first woman to hold a principal position in a major American orchestra, opened the symphonic world to women. Hers was a life in music like no other, and Mary Sue Welsh takes us backstage for the start of a social and musical revolution."--Daniel Webster, former music critic, The Philadelphia Inquirer "Edna Phillips was an important figure not only in Philadelphia history but also in the history of the American symphony orchestra. Her biography by Mary Sue Welsh is of great value for the light it sheds on key musical personalities of the early to mid-twentieth century, as well as the attitude of orchestra members and managements toward women. It is also a delightfully frank portrait of a woman full of moxie, wit and warmth."--Diana Burgwyn, reviewer, classical music critic "More than providing an enthralling account of a remarkable woman, One Woman in a Hundred adds vivid portraits of such legendary titans as Leopold Stokowski and Arturo Toscanini in the context of a tumultuous period in our history. Music is the backdrop for a compelling picture of how this era of depression and war resonated throughout Philadelphia and the nation."--Harold I. Gullan, Ph.D., historian and author of Faith of Our Mothers: The Stories of Presidential Mothers from Mary Washington to Barbara Bush

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Book SynopsisJohann Sebastian Bach was a Lutheran and much of his music was for Lutheran liturgical worship. As these insightful essays in the twelfth volume of Bach Perspectives demonstrate, he was also influenced by--and in turn influenced--different expressions of religious belief. The vocal music, especially the Christmas Oratorio, owes much to medieval Catholic mysticism, and the evolution of the B minor Mass has strong Catholic connections. In Leipzig, Catholic and Lutheran congregations sang many of the same vernacular hymns. Internal squabbles were rarely missing within Lutheranism, for example Pietists' dislike of concerted church music, especially if it employed specific dance forms. Also investigated here are broader issues such as the close affinity between Bach's cantata libretti and the hymns of Charles Wesley; and Bach's music in the context of the Jewish Enlightenment as shaped by Protestant Rationalism in Berlin. Contributors: Rebecca Cypess, Joyce L. Irwin, Robin A. Leaver, Mark NTrade Review"While many of the previous volumes will be of interest primarily to musicians, the current volume contains studies that will interest many readers of church history, especially Lutherans, and those interested in the relationship of various Christian denominations with each other. " --Lutheran Quarterly"This volume is interesting and contains a wide variety of topics for the reader. . . .This serves as a very specialized collection of essays for the discerning scholar and student, regardless of his or her interest and association with Kantor Bach." --Concordia Theological Quarterly

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Trade Review"A fascinating document of New Orleans jazz history."--Ralph J. Gleason, San Francisco Chronicle"A fine account of the development of jazz in New Orleans and Chicago from 1900 to 1960. . . . It should be in every jazz collection."--Choice

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Book SynopsisColin McPhee was a performer, writer, and pioneer among Western composers in turning to Asia for inspiration. A close friend of Aaron Copland, Carlos Chavez, Henry Cowell, and Virgil Thomson, he played a vital role in new music activities in New York in the 1920s. But his most important accomplishments emerged from his devotion to the music of Bali. After hearing rare recordings of the Balinese gamelan--a percussion orchestra with delicately layered textures and clangorous sounds--McPhee traveled to Bali to learn more. There, he worked closely with Western anthropologists like Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson. McPhee became a devoted and meticulous chronicler of Balinese musical culture in classic texts like Music of Bali while integrating Balinese and Western music into an imaginative hybrid that anticipated work by John Cage, Lou Harrison, and Steve Reich.A fascinating portrait of an unconventional artist-scholar, Colin McPhee evocatively looks at key issues Trade Review"A strong and necessary argument for the reconsideration of McPhee's work as a composer."--Larry Polansky, Ethnomusicology"Carol Oja has recounted his story with outstanding thoroughness and sensitivity. . . . McPhee's legacy is a small body of specialized work, creative and scholarly, that suggested new paths in the music of this century. It deserved--indeed, awaited--the full and well-balanced study Oja has given it."--John Beckwith, American Music

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Book SynopsisComposing a World is the definitive work on Lou Harrison, the prolific California composer often cited as one of America''s most original and influential figures. The product of extensive research, including seventy-five interviews with the composer and those associated with him over half a century, Composing a World includes chapters on music and dance, intonation and tuning, instrument building, music criticism, Harrison''s political activism, homosexuality, Asian influences, and final years. This edition features an updated catalog of works reflecting compositions completed after 1997. It also includes an annotated work list detailing more than 300 compositions and a CD featuring over seventy-four minutes of illustrative Harrison compositions, including several unique and previously unrecorded works.A compelling and deeply human portrait, Composing a World offers an indispensable study of a beloved musical pioneer.Trade Review"Garrulous and loving, remarkably successful in distilling abstruse musical manipulation--e.g., the mathematics governing the many kinds of tuning in Harrison's music--this is one of those rare musical biographies that draws you close to the subject with words of kindness rather than scholarly gobbledygook or scabrous patter."--Alan Rich, San Francisco Sunday Examiner"An inspirational assessment of the American maverick."--BBC Music Magazine"[S]eemingly manages the impossible in striking a perfect balance between convention and alterity, seriousness and humor, scholarship and celebration, erudition and readability, macrocosm and microcosm . . . A minor musicological miracle."--David Nicholls, Notes

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Book SynopsisBeyond Blackberry Vines and Winter Fruit - the life and works of an important woman composerTrade Review"Recommended."--Choice"Marga Richter has long been a highly respected contributor to classical repertoire, and this volume is significant as the first focused examination of her life and oeuvre. It will be valued by musicians and nonmusicians alike who are interested in contemporary classical music."--Ellen K. Grolman, author of Joan Tower: The Comprehensive Bio-Bibliography

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Book SynopsisExplores the life, work, and persona of saxophonist Fred Ho, an unabashedly revolutionary artist whose illuminating and daring work redefines the relationship between art and politics.Trade Review "This powerful volume is an antiphonal response to Fred Ho's revolutionary music and politics. Ho's aesthetics are assertive, demanding, unequivocal, absolute, polemical, unrelenting, and beautiful, and his friends and colleagues have responded in kind. This collection carries forward Ho's message."--Deborah Wong, author of Speak It Louder: Asian Americans Making Music "[Yellow Power, Yellow Soul] provides great insight into Ho's formative years, his writing process with a variety of collaborators, and the evolution of his aesthetics and philosophies."--Journal of the Society for American Music "Those genuinely interested in the transgressive and transcendent potential of performance and cultural production as well as the political power of transcultural solidarity would do well to engage Yellow Power Yellow Soul."--Journal of Asian American StudiesTable of ContentsContributors: Roger N. Buckley, Peggy Myo-Young Choy, Jayne Cortez, Kevin Fellezs, Diane C. Fujino, Magdalena Gomez, Richard Hamasaki, Esther Iverem, Robert Kocik, Genny Lim, Ruth Margraff, Bill V. Mullen, Tamara Roberts, Arthur J. Sabatini, Kalamu ya Salaam, Miyoshi Smith, Arthur Song, and Salim Washington.

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Book SynopsisA biography and critical investigation of Alec Wilder's music.Trade ReviewCertificate of Merit for Best Historical Research in Classical Music, Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC), 2014. "Saturated with rich, detailed research, this book stands as a clear and concise introduction to Alec Wilder's life and work that is carefully geared to appeal to both musicians and nonmusicians."--Jeffrey Magee, author of Irving Berlin's American Musical Theater"This thoughtful and innovative study is a welcome addition to the body of material on this composer. Recommended."--Choice

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Book SynopsisWinner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the Grawemeyer Award, Aaron Jay Kernis achieved recognition as one of the leading composers of his generation while still in his thirties. This book offers a mid-career portrait of a major American cultural figure.Trade Review"It is all too rare to have such a comprehensive account of a living composer, one, in fact, of a composer who is still at the height of his creative powers. So Leta Miller's fascinating new book about Aaron Jay Kernis is extremely welcome, not only because it shines light on many of his important compositions, but because it is also a really good read! In revealing that the life of a present day composer can be every bit as compelling as the biographies of the so-called old masters, hopefully it will encourage authors and publishers to further mine the life stories of other leading music creators of our time."--Frank J. Oteri, composer and founding editor of NewMusicBox"Aaron Jay Kernis is one of the most important and original voices in contemporary music. Writing about a living composer and explaining contemporary music present enormous challenges. Leta Miller meets them with uncanny skill. Illuminating Kernis' life and getting to the core of his music, she finds fascinating and important links between them."--Hugh Wolff, Director of Orchestras and Chair of Orchestral Conducting, New England Conservatory"In Leta Miller's wonderfully intimate and detailed portrait of Aaron Kernis, she chronicles his personal and professional progression to become one of the world's leading voices in new music. Her book inspires me to revisit the works I know with new insight, to listen to the works I have missed and to anticipate many years of amazing new creations."--David Shifrin"Enjoyable and readable. The sections on the Pulitzer and Grawemeyer; his studies with Wuorinen; the accounts of rehearsals of his music by Jacob Druckman, Zubin Mehta, and Kurt Masur; the music itself; the variety of styles that he drew from; brief connections to minimalism, rap, jazz, and popular music--all were interesting to read. I found her discussion of turning points within his career, and consistencies within his style (including eclecticism itself), to be strongly supported by the presentation and analyses of his music. Not only does she point out Judaic, popular, and personal references in the music, she provides a wider context of understanding about their meaning in his output as a whole."--Sharon Mirchandani, author of Marga RichterTable of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii 1. Introduction 1 2. Learning the Craft: Early Years and Training (1960-1983) 7 3. Kernis Meets the New York Philharmonic 26 4. Coming to Grips with History (1984-1991) 43 5. War, with Interludes (1991-1995) 71 6. Triumphs and Tribulations: Big Commissions, Big Risks, Big Rewards (1995-2001) 100 7. Family Matters (2002-2009) 126 8. Looking to the Future 152APPENDIX: CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF WORKS 163SUGGESTED LISTENING 171NOTES 173INDEX 185

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Melinda Bargreen’s Classical Seattle is a who’s who of the city’s classical-music scene over the past half-century, an entertaining recapitulation of interviews she did while serving as the music critic for The Seattle Times and writing for other publications." -- Ellen Emry Heltzel * Seattle Times *Table of ContentsIntroduction THE MAESTROS Milton Katims: The Toscanini Protégé Rainer Miedel and Cordelia Wikarski Miedel: The Maestro and the Maestra Gerard Schwarz: The Consummate Music Director Ludovic Morlot: The Symphonic Innovator Peter Erős: The Old-School Maestro Vilem Sokol: The Patron Saint Of The Podium Stephen Stubbs: The Early-Music Innovator George Shangrow: The People’s Maestro Resident Conductors: The Vital Links in the Music Community THE IMPRESARIOS Glynn Ross: The Bantam of the Opera Speight Jenkins: The Ring Master Toby Saks: The Impresaria Louis Richmond: The Chamber Orchestra Pathfinder THE VIRTUOSI Béla Siki: The Elegant Stylist John Cerminaro: The Man With The Golden Horn Randolph Hokanson: The Old Master Silvia Kind: The Free Spirit Of The Harpsichord Eva Heinitz: The Greatest Gambist Robin McCabe: The Keyboard Diplomat Ronald Phillips: The Consummate Clarinetist Craig Sheppard: The Classicist Of The Ivories THE COMPOSERS Alan Hovhaness: The Composer of the Mountains William Bolcom: The Compositional Innovator Samuel Jones: The Harmony Seeker THE POWER BROKERS AND PATRONS William and Ruth Gerberding: The Couple Who Made Things Happen William Bain, Jr.: The Architect Of The Boardroom Hans Lehmann: The Renaissance Man Samuel N. Stroum: The Mover And Shaker Deborah (Card) Rutter: The Power Behind The Podium Sam and Gladys Rubinstein: The Key Advisors Buster and Nancy Alvord: The Practical Donors Jerry and Lenore Hanauer: The Imaginative Operaphiles John and Laurel Nesholm: The Activists For The Arts Charles Simonyi: The Genius Philanthropist Jack and Becky Benaroya: The Ultimate Benefactors Conclusion Acknowledgments Sources Index

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Book SynopsisThe touching story of thirty years of friendship between George Klein and the King that “offers an insider’s view of Presley the man as opposed to Presley the singer, actor, and icon” (Associated Press). “You capture the essence of Elvis not only in dialogue, but also in giving the reader a sense of his personality, humor, and his spirit of play.”—Priscilla Presley When George Klein was an eighth grader at Humes High, he couldn’t have known how important the new kid with the guitar—the boy named Elvis—would later become in his life. But from the first time GK (as he was nicknamed by Elvis) heard this kid sing, he knew that Elvis Presley was someone extraordinary. During Elvis’s rise to fame and throughout the wild swirl of his remarkable life, Klein was a steady presence and one of Elvis’s closest and most loyal friends until his untimely death in 1977. In Elvis: My Best Man, a heartfelt, entertaining, and long-awaited contribution to our understanding of Elvis Presley and the early days of rock ’n’ roll, George Klein writes with great affection for the friend he knew about who the King of Rock ’n’ Roll really was and how he acted when the stage lights were off. This fascinating chronicle of boundary-breaking and music-making through one of the most intriguing and dynamic stretches of American history overflows with insights and anecdotes from someone who was in the middle of it all. From the good times at Graceland to hanging out with Hollywood stars to butting heads with Elvis’s iron-handed manager, Colonel Tom Parker, to making sure that Elvis’s legacy is fittingly honored, GK was a true friend of the King and a trailblazer in the music industry in his own right.

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Book SynopsisThe legendary Patti LuPone is one of the theatre’s most beloved leading ladies. Now she lays it all bare, sharing the intimate story of her life both onstage and off--through the dizzying highs and darkest lows--with the humor and outspokenness that have become her trademarks.With nearly 100 photographs, including an 8-page four-color insert, and illuminating details about the life of a working actor, from inspired costars and demanding directors to her distinct perspective on how she developed and honed her Tony Award–winning performances, Patti LuPone: A Memoir is as inspirational as it is entertaining. And though the title might say “a memoir,” this is ultimately a love letter to the theatre by a unique American artist.Raised on Long Island’s North Shore, Patti discovered her calling at the age of four and knew that she was destined for the stage. A prodigiously gifted child, she was one of only 36 young actors chosen for the inaugural class of The Juilliard School’s Drama Division, where she fought near-constant criticism from her instructors, and here describes those early years with disarming frankness. From the heady days of her early twenties—crisscrossing the country as a founding member of the classical repertory theatre ensemble, The Acting Company--to her early success on Broadway, her four-year stint as Libby Thacher on the television series Life Goes On, her loving marriage to Matt Johnston, and much, much more, Patti chronicles her professional and personal life with inimitable candor and wit.  With its insightful retrospective of her career-defining turns, both on Broadway and abroad, in Evita, Les Misérables, Anything Goes, Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, and Gypsy, Patti LuPone: A Memoir reveals the artist’s deeply felt passion for music and the theatre and is, in the end, the compelling and quintessential tale of an exceptional life well lived.“I have been incredibly fortunate over the course of my career to have been associated with some extraordinary dramatic and musical productions, and also some rather spectacular disasters. Looking back, I can find gifts and life lessons in every one.”

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Book SynopsisThe only Lou Reed bio you need to read. The Washington PostA Rolling Stone best music book of 2023 One of Pitchfork's ten best music books of 2023 A Variety best music book of the year A Kirkus Reviews best nonfiction book of 2023There have been many biographies of Lou Reed, but Will Hermes has written the definitive life . . . He has brought to the assignment a sharp eye, a clear head, a lucid prose style, and a determination to let Lou be Lou, without judgment. Lucy Sante, author of Low LifeThe most complete and penetrating biography of the rock master, whose stature grows every year.Since his death in 2013, Lou Reed's living presence has only grown. The great rock poet presided over the marriage of Brill Building pop and the European avant-garde, and left American culture transfigured. In Lou Reed: The King of New York, Will Hermes offers the definitive narrative of Ree

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Book Synopsis“Number One” was a phrase my father—and, for that matter, my mother—repeated time and time again. It was a phrase spoken by my parents’ friends and by their friends’ children. Whenever adults discussed the great Chinese painters and sculptors from the ancient dynasties, there was always a single artist named as Number One. There was the Number One leader of a manufacturing plant, the Number One worker, the Number One scientist, the Number One car mechanic. In the culture of my childhood, being best was everything. It was the goal that drove us, the motivation that gave life meaning. And if, by chance or fate or the blessings of the generous universe, you were a child in whom talent was evident, Number One became your mantra. It became mine. I never begged my parents to take off the pressure. I accepted it; I even enjoyed it. It was a game, this contest among aspiring pianists, and although I may have been shy, I was bold, even at age five, when faced

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Book SynopsisAn intimate portrait of two years on the eve of fame by a friend and collaborator of the Wailers.

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Book SynopsisMcClatchy's heroic labor is a remarkable achievement. . . . Mozart and Da Ponte will be smiling down on this volume.Richard WilburTrade Review"Starred Review. Readers familiar with the operas will enjoy seeing their favorite passages retranslated by the sure hand of a great poet who is steeped in love for language, music, and drama. Highly recommended for all collections; an essential purchase for music libraries." -- Library Journal"To translate any one of these librettos into a readable prose text would be an accomplishment. To translate all seven into rhyming verse and prose recitative, fearlessly tackling two languages, is a major literary and musical event." -- David Lehman - The Best American Poetry blog

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Book Synopsis“An exceptionally fine book: erudite, digressive, urbane and deeply moving.” —Wall Street JournalTrade Review"Beguiling.… Limpidly written, effortlessly learned, copiously illustrated, Chopin’s Piano is a perfect illustration of how the best histories often emerge from left field." -- William Boyd - Times Literary Supplement"A sweeping story.… In graceful prose, Kildea explores developments in the history of piano-making, changes in the ways pianists have approached their craft, and, most luminously, the music of Chopin." -- Jonathan Rosenberg - Christian Science Monitor"This fascinating and beautifully written book will delight music lovers." -- Roger Kamien, author of Music: An Appreciation"Highly readable." -- Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim - The New York Times Book Review"Original, constantly interesting.… Kildea writes fluently about Chopin’s work." -- Jonathan McAloon - Financial Times"Captivating and intriguing, Chopin’s Piano will most certainly entertain both novice and hardcore music historians." -- Michael Thomas Barry - New York Journal of Books"Even those who are not musically inclined will find themselves reading this book to its very end.… [G]ripping." -- Phyllis Meras - Providence Journal"An episodic, picaresque tale, woven confidently.… [Kildea] writes knowledgeably and approachably about music and sympathetically about his cast of characters." -- Alan Rusbridger - The Spectator"In tracing the history of the Bauza piano and the lives of those who played it, Kildea achieves a combination of performance and reception history that makes one listen more closely to the music." -- Anna Picard - Times Literary Supplement"An impressive feat of wide learning intriguingly deployed.… [G]iddily well-informed.… Kildea finds illumination in the detail." -- Jonathan Gaisman - Standpoint

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Book SynopsisThe perfect gift for music and car lovers, Special Deluxe is Neil Young's New York Times bestselling follow-up to Waging Heavy Peace that “reads like a great Neil Young song plays.” (The Buffalo News)  In this acclaimed new memoir, New York Times bestselling author Neil Young has fashioned another extraordinary work of reminiscences told through the lens of one of his deepest passions: cars. A lifelong devotee and collector, Young explores his love for the well-crafted vintage automobile and examines his newfound awareness of his hobby’s negative environmental impact. Witty, eclectic, candid, and filled with Young’s original artwork, Special Deluxe will appeal to car lovers as well as the legions devoted to one of the most genuine and enigmatic artists of our time.

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Book SynopsisThe spellbinding memoir of a violin virtuoso who loses the instrument that had defined her both on stage and off -- and who discovers, beyond the violin, the music of her own voice   Her first violin was tiny, harsh, factory-made; her first piece was “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star.” But from the very beginning, Min Kym knew that music was the element in which she could swim and dive and soar. At seven years old, she was a prodigy, the youngest ever student at the famed Purcell School. At eleven, she won her first international prize; at eighteen, violinist great Ruggiero Ricci called her “the most talented violinist I’ve ever taught.” And at twenty-one, she found “the one,” the violin she would play as a soloist: a rare 1696 Stradivarius. Her career took off. She recorded the Brahms concerto and a world tour was planned.Then, in a London café, her violin was stolen. She felt as though she had lost her soulmate,

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Book SynopsisOne of the 'big three' of swing tenors - along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young - Ben Webster was one of the best known and most popular saxophonists from the 1930s through the 1970s. Early in his career, Webster worked with many of the greatest orchestras of the time. This book presents the story of Webster's brilliant and troubled career.

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Book SynopsisMusic Is My Life is the first comprehensive analysis of Louis Armstrong's autobiographical writings (including his books, essays, and letters) and their relation to his musical and visual performances. Combining approaches from autobiography theory, literary criticism, intermedia studies, cultural history, and musicology, Daniel Stein reconstructs Armstrong's performances of his life story across various media and for different audiences, complicating the monolithic and hagiographic views of the musician. The book will appeal to academic readers with an interest in African American studies, jazz studies, musicology, and popular culture, as well as general readers interested in Armstrong's life and music, jazz, and twentieth-century entertainment. While not a biography, it provides a key to understanding Armstrong's oeuvre as well as his complicated place in American history and twentieth-century media culture.

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Book SynopsisAmerican pop music is arguably this country’s greatest cultural contribution to the world, and its singular voice and virtuosity were created by a shining thread of Black women geniuses stretching back to the country’s founding. This is their surprising, heartbreaking, soaring story—from “one of the generation’s greatest, most insightful, most nuanced writers in pop culture” (Shea Serrano)“Sparkling . . . the overdue singing of a Black girl’s song, with perfect pitch . . . delicious to read.”—Oprah DailyONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, The Root, Variety, Esquire, The Guardian, Newsweek, Pitchfork, She Reads, Publishers WeeklySHORTLISTED FOR THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARDA weave of biography, criticism, and memoir, Shine Bright is Danyel Smith’s intimate history of Black women’s music as the foun

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