Composers and songwriters Books

Book SynopsisThe first biography of arguably the most influential gospel artist of the 20th century, brought to life through interviews with his collaborators, friends, and familyGospel singer and seven-time Grammy winner Andraé Crouch (1942-2015) hardly needs introduction. His compositionsThe Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, Through It All, Jesus is the Answer, Soon and Very Soon, and othersset the gold standard for gospel music and remain staples in modern hymnals today. He is often spoken of in the same genius pantheon as Mahalia Jackson, Thomas Dorsey, and the Rev. James Cleveland and was lauded as the foremost gospel singer of his generation by former President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama upon his death in 2015. In Soon & Very Soon,authors Robert Darden and Stephen Newby celebrate the countless ways that Crouch indelibly changed the course of gospel and popular music. Not least among them was Crouch's progressive pursuit to address the sociopolitical issues of his time, including AI

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Book Synopsis''In what is the most comprehensive biography of the group to date, Browne compiles a fun and fast-paced music history.... an authoritative chronicle.'' --Publishers WeeklyThe first and most complete narrative biography of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, by acclaimed music journalist and Rolling Stone senior writer David Browne Even in the larger-than-life world of rock and roll, it was hard to imagine four more different men. David Crosby, the opinionated hippie guru. Stephen Stills, the perpetually driven musician. Graham Nash, the tactful pop craftsman. Neil Young, the creatively restless loner. But together, few groups were as in sync with their times as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Starting with the original trio''s landmark 1969 debut album, the group embodied much about its era: communal musicmaking, protest songs that took on the establishment and Richard Nixon, and liberal attitudes toward partners and lifestyles. Their group or individual songs--''Wooden

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Book SynopsisFew heavy metal acts survived the turmoil of the early 1990s music scene. Pantera, featuring the peerless guitar playing of the late Dimebag Darrell Abbott, was different. Instead of humouring the market, the band demanded that the audience come to them by releasing a series of fiercely uncompromising platinum albums, including Vulgar Display of Power and Far Beyond Driven - albums that sold millions of copies despite minimal airplay.This is the previously untold story behind one of the most influential bands in heavy metal history, written by the man best qualified to tell the truth about those incredible and often difficult years of fame, excess, and tragedy.Trade ReviewAOL Music's Noisecreep.com, 3/6/13 "A warts and all look at Brown's journey from small town Texas music geek to platinum-selling, arena-filling rock star. Besides the insightful, and always colorful, Pantera stories included throughout Official Truth, Brown also comes clean about his own personal battles with drugs and alcohol." SkullsNBones.com, 3/6/13 "Rex is completely honest and forthcoming in this book, and it's a major insight to one of the most influential bands of all time...A must read!" The Aquarian, 3/13 "Offers the shocking insight into one of the most influential and extremely popular metal bands to ever reach the annals of heavy metal history!... Fans of Pantera and Rex Brown will love this book!" BackstageAxxess.com, 3/10: "Rex's story is both honest and brutally real...Rockstars are often put on a pedestal and made to seem larger than life. Rex Brown gives us the other side of the story. His heartfelt account tells us the good, the bad, and the ugly, making Official Truth, 101 Proof much more than just a book about a rock band. It is a tale of friendships made and friendships lost and the triumphs and tragedies along the way. Dust off your bookshelf and clear some space. You're going to want to add this one to your collection." RidgewoodPatch.com3/11 "Offers a very inside look at the band that we were never afforded the opportunity to voyeur into back in the day...Straight up, if you're a Pantera fan then read the book, you'll enjoy it...A satisfying read. As a fan of Pantera I couldn't put the flippin' thing down." Bass Guitar magazine, May 2013 "Rock star autobiographies are everywhere these days, some of them great, some less so. Official Truth, 101 Proof...falls easily into the former category. Brown...waited years to tell his tale, but the wait has been worth it...Official Truth recounts the formation and rise to prominence of Pantera, as well as the stories of Brown's later bands Down and Kill Devil Hill, with unflinching courage, offering a new perspective on the chaos within those bands." SLUG (Salt Lake Under Ground) magazine, May 2013 "Rex Brown has long since taken the 'voice of reason' mantle in the ever-fracturing post-Pantera camp. Though he's the group's least public member, he's the most fit to write a memoir on the experience. Brown pulls no punches in his yarn, nonchalantly discussing the spandex-clad inception, multiplatinum explosion and untimely demise of the '90s' most definitive metal band. Most compelling are his unflinching looks into the band members' individual demons, which never come off as antagonistic or gossipy, but genuine attempts at 'telling it like it is'...As the murder of one Dimebag Darrell becomes more and more distant, no other publication has come this close to truly exploring the impact and meaning of what this band meant to the heavy metal landscape, and for that, Brown's work shouldn't go unnoticed, and is highly recommended." PowerlineMag.com, 4/27/13 "Pantera's fans will enjoy this up close and personal look at the band, especially those interested in hearing how the band's classic records came together." Examiner.com, 4/30/13 "If you are looking for dirt or something shocking, its all there as Rex didn't pull any punches and told it how it was including the bad times as well. If you are a fan of Pantera or if you just like a good biography I recommend this book because it will not disappoint." "A compelling read." SonicExcess.com, 3/12: "Offers a perspective from the eyes of the silent member of Pantera. Often humorous, tragic, brutally honest, and always entertaining...A must read for any fan of Rock, Metal, and Pantera...Official Truth is similar to the music of Pantera, no compromise with no room for bullshit." SkullsNBones.com, 3/12 "Rex holds nothing back and really invites you into his Pantera world like never before...Now with this new book, we understand a little more about one of the most historic bands to ever walk this planet...A very blunt and honest read that will definitely get people talking in the metal scene...A must read for all metal fans." Examiner.com, 3/12 "Will appeal not just to fans of Pantera and heavy metal, but anyone interested in a look at that time in music." Horns Up Rocks, 3/12: "[A] very honest piece of literature...Not only is it a great read, but it will open your eyes about how the music industry works." TheGauntlet.com, 3/13 "The journey of the rise and fall of one of the biggest bands in heavy metal history...An honest account of what transpired during [Brown's] years in Pantera." Rich Stambolian, 3/15 Record Collector (UK), Issue 414 "Brown recounts his life in parallel to Pantera's story, exploring his addiction to alcohol in courageous detail and pulling no punches when it comes to explaining the band's split and its tragic aftermath. He ascribes the various fallings-out to each of the personalities involved, without leaving anyone (including himself) blameless. Kudos to the guy for digging deep into a set of obviously painful memories to get this book done, and to his co-writer Mark Eglinton for focusing Brown's recollections into an eminently readable memoir." Decibel, June 2013 "Revealing...Brown deftly explains why Pantera's music works...This book won't interest the casual Pantera fan. But are there any casual Pantera fans?" Metal Forces, March 2013 "Official Truth, 101 Proof sugarcoats nothing." John Shelton Ivany Top 21 "Definitive...This is a lucid account of the previously untold story behind one of the most influential bands in heavy metal history, written by the man best qualified to tell the truth about those incredible and often difficult years of fame and excess." WomanAroundTown.com, 5/28/13 "A book detailing the highs and lows of super-stardom." Curled Up With A Good Book Loudwire.com, 3/21/13 "An unflinchingly honest look at the group, from their earliest beginnings to the ending moments and the things which have happened since then...The first official statement on Pantera and the legacy of the group from a band member." NoTreble.com, 3/21/13 "Describing the book as 'starkly honest' almost seems like an understatement as Brown details his ride with anecdotes on events and the characters involved in the band's story." MediaMikes.com, 3/18/13 "A gritty in your face tale from the man who lived it...Here is your chance to get whole truth and nothing but...Candid, brutally honest, and at times shocking Rex Brown touches on everything and pulls no punches while doing so...From start to finish a great read." North Coast Voice, 3/20/13-4/3/13 issue and The Cleveland Sound, 3/21/13 "A candid, unpretentious autobiography from one of rock's modern day survivors--a southern-fried, fist-pumpingly fun read." Alternative Control blog, 3/22/13 "A great read about one of the best metal bands of all time." Houston Press, 3/29/13 "A tell-all history of the band...The most comprehensive insider account of Pantera's rise and fall." BackstageAxxess.com, 3/24/13 "Brown gives us the inside story in his new book...It's a great read." FullMetalRock.com, 3/24/13 "This is the real deal inside story, from the man himself, who was there and lived it...A no holds barred account of the rise and fall of Pantera...It is all covered here straight up...A must read for any fan of Pantera or Rock and Metal." Every Day is a New Day blog, 3/28/13 "The story of one of the craziest party bands of all time...This book was an eye opener...If you've ever been into Metal music, I'd say this is required reading." The Metal Den, 4/8/13 "Hands down the most brutally frank rock memoir you will ever read in your life...This is a cautionary tale (beware of the 'hangers on') that will make you laugh out loud and wipe away a few tears at the same time." About.com Heavy Metal "Brown pulls no punches in the book...The behind the scenes story of Pantera is fascinating...There have been a lot of books written about Pantera, but Brown provides insight an outside author simply can't...It's a very well-written and compelling book." Music As Therapy blog, 4/14/13 "Gives you insight to the real world of Pantera and makes no qualms about it...An extremely honest look at the behind the scenes of one of the biggest bands of all time. [Brown] pokes a few holes into the fabric of our perception of band life and what being a rock star is all about...If you are a fan of Pantera and road stories then you should definitely pick this book up. It will make you laugh, choke you up, and blow your mind with the reality of what some of your favorite personalities are really like." MTVHive.com, 3/18/13 "Wildly entertaining." Boston Phoenix, 3/20/13 "'No holds barred' and 'warts and all' are typical qualifiers when it comes to rock-and-roll memoirs, but rarely do they fulfill the promise. Which makes it all the more refreshing when something like Official Truth, 101 Proof comes along. Pleasantries are dispensed sparingly in this unflinching, and often biting, but also affectionate portrait." Dallas Observer, 3/18/13 "Rex takes readers into the familiar world of the Rock Star, where rivers of whiskey flow like cash pouring into the band members' bank accounts...Rex's memoir delivers to fans what the bassist intended: a behind the scenes look at the events that led to the downfall of one of America's greatest rock bands. It's full of conflict, raw emotion and backstage antics." "No one was closer to the heart of the band than Brown. He was there from the beginning and relates the ups and downs with an unabashed honesty...A book about one of the most original metal bands ever." Illinois Entertainer, 7/1/13 "[A] tell-all." Soho Tribune, 6/22/13 "A poignant and heartfelt account of life in a monstrous heavy metal band...Read the book. It's like finally getting the quiet kid in class to open up." GhostCultMag.com, 7/12/13 "The book has an easy-going style, and doesn't seem to be ghost-written like so many other tomes of this sort...If you are a fan of Pantera or '90s metal in general, this book is essential reading." Metal Hammer "A no-holds-barred insight into the mind of someone who became known as 'the drunk guy in Pantera,' which is some feat." Hard Rockin' Homemaker, 7/29/2013 "A notable and refreshing change from the vast majority of other memoirs I've read." MetalKaoz.com, 9/7/13 "I enjoyed every page of Official Truth, 101 Proof and learned a ton of stuff about this band." HeavyMetalICU.com, 9/9/13

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Book SynopsisA TAROT DECK FOR MUSIC LOVERS with the biggest stars representing the cards'' meaningsAN ACCESSIBLE ENTRY TO TAROT or an exciting new addition to a card collectionCULT FAVOURITES AND BIG STARS: there''s something for fans of every genreSTUNNING ILLUSTRATIONS with more to find on every readingINCLUDES A BOOKLET that unpacks the meanings of the cards and explains how to conduct your own readingsTune into your inner wisdom with this unique tarot deck inspired by cult music icons. Inside you''ll find musicians who perfectly encapsulate the tarot card meanings: Lorde is the Fool, Prince is the Emperor and David Byrne is the Hermit. The 78 cards work as a fully functional tarot deck, and the kit also includes a booklet with more information about the musicians, as well as information on how to interpret the cards and conduct your own readings.

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Book SynopsisMichael Jackson died in 2009, but he has never really left us and there are no signs he ever will. A globally acclaimed child star in the 1970s, the world's premier entertainer in the final decades of the 20th century, a perplexingly odd character in the 21st century, Jackson defied every known category and became borderline incomprehensible. To remedy this, in The Destruction and Creation of Michael Jackson, Ellis Cashmore reflects the restless, unorthodox and mysterious life Jackson led in order to understand more about him as well as his cultural impact. Exploring how Jackson emerged from the post-civil rights era when America was searching for someone who symbolized a new age as it struggled to unburden itself of racial inequality, Cashmore's book is the first to examine Jackson's career through the prisms of American racial politics and celebrity culture. Uniquely structured, beginning in the present and journeying back to Jackson's birth, The Destruction and CreTrade ReviewCashmore’s book attempts to be more than another rehash of scandals. He discusses Jackson, who he calls ‘a bewilderingly complex character’, in the light of his role as a ‘shining symbol of a post-civil rights land of opportunity’, and looks at how Jackson’s character was affected by American culture. -- Martin Chilton * The Independent *In The Destruction and Creation of Michael Jackson, Ellis Cashmore takes a unique look at the life and career of one of the most controversial and ubiquitous figures in popular culture in this brilliantly written and well-researched biography-in-reverse. * Buzz *The Destruction and Creation of Michael Jackson … travels backwards, from death to birth, in considering the strange, troubled life of the one-time child star, through the prism of celebrity culture and America’s radical politics. * Choice *As innovative, entertaining, and slyly subversive as its subject was at his peak, Ellis Cashmore’s vibrant and challenging counter-clock world examination of Michael Jackson prompts us to reconsider the relationship between Jackson the icon and Jackson the abuser: it is no less than a Time’s Arrow for the former King of Pop. * Joe Street, Associate Professor in History, Northumbria University, UK *The Destruction and Creation of Michael Jackson can hardly be classified as a biography, though it does trace the events in Jackson's life. Rather, Cashmore uses the pop star as a prismatic lens through which readers can consider how popular music, race, and celebrity intersect to produce the multiple, conflicting and still-emergent meanings of Jackson and his legacy. This innovative, gripping reverse genealogy prompts a profound rethinking of how we come to sanctify, abhor, and retell the life stories of global icons like Jackson. * Lindsay Bernhagen, Lecturer in Women's and Gender Studies and Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, USA *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Destruction and Creation: Timeline 1 1. Pact with the Devil 2. Ticket to Ride 3. Nothing Strange about Your Daddy 4. Prisoner of All Those Around Him 5. Yesterday’s News 6. Through the Eyes of a Child 7. With Walt Disney or Michelangelo 8. A Nightmare 9. In Aladdin’s Cave 10. Whatever Reality They Want 11. Shifting the Needle 12. From His Sexuality to His Face 13. True or Not, It Didn’t Matter 14. Wearing Different Masks 15. Prophets of Black Conservatism 16. Nothing Was the Same After 17. Phantasmagorical Bubble Machine 18. Without the Grit of Reality 19. The Wand 20. Old Soul in a Young Body 21. In This Good Land of Ours 22. Close to the Threshold of Hell Destruction and Creation: Key Players Playlist Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBlackstar Theory takes a close look at David Bowie's ambitious last works: his surprise comeback' project The Next Day (2013), the off-Broadway musical Lazarus (2015) and the album that preceded the artist's death in 2016 by two days, Blackstar. The book explores the swirl of themes that orbit and entangle these projects from a starting point in musical analysis and features new interviews with key collaborators from the period: producer Tony Visconti, graphic designer Jonathan Barnbrook, musical director Henry Hey, saxophonist Donny McCaslin and assistant sound engineer Erin Tonkon.These works tackle the biggest of ideas: identity, creativity, chaos, transience and immortality. They enact a process of individuation for the Bowie meta-persona and invite us to consider what happens when a star dies. In our universe, dying stars do not disappear - they transform into new stellar objects, remnants and gravitational forces. The radical potential of the BlackstarTrade ReviewThe lively complexity of Blackstar Theory is a fine match for Bowie – a sparkling, timely invitation to reimmerse oneself in the density of his final works, even if the shock of grief remains palpable. * The Wire *This is the Bowie book that many of us DB fans have been waiting for Blackstar Theory: The Last Works of David Bowie is a bravura performance by Leah Kardos, a sonata of glorious prose, amazing research, and academic erudition. ... I recommend it to any serious fan of David’s, well actually, I recommend it to any serious fan of music, full stop. Go out and buy it now! * Bowie Fascination *Kardos elegantly sidesteps speculation about Bowie’s personal life in his final years, focusing instead on the work, taking in nods to Morrissey, Elvis Presley, Peaky Blinders and “the lust for life against the finality of everything”. * Uncut *Someone recently said there will never be a definitive book on Bowie and I would probably have agreed. But now that I’ve read this book I’m not so sure. This is as good as it gets. * The New Music Café *Leah Kardos deftly uncovers the patterns in David Bowie’s “late style,” seeing the mortality, morality, and self-consciousness hiding in plain sight. While musicological analysis is at the heart of her endeavor, she is nevertheless attuned to the places in his epic career where there are fissures and unexpected correspondences with other forms of art. Blackstar Theory is a feast for any Bowie fan—rabid or casual—and performs the closure that many of us were seeking. A welcome addition to the growing canon of Bowie studies. * Shelton Waldrep, Distinguished Professor of English, University of Southern Maine, USA *This is one of the most intelligent studies of David Bowie’s music that will ever be published. It illuminates the interconnected web of meanings that are discoverable in his work in ways I have never encountered before. Leah Kardos shows with genuine illumination that the music of the late Bowie tackles big ideas such as the nature of identity, creativity, chaos, transience and im/mortality and provides us with signposts that take us back to the very start of his extraordinary life and musical career. The book is a major achievement. * Keith Ansell-Pearson, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Warwick, UK *A star-gazing telescope of sorts, Blackstar Theory provides an illuminating view of the last great works of a dying star. Intimately connected to the music and art of David Bowie, Leah Kardos elegantly crafts a respectful conduit for readers to share in her examination of the meanings generated by Bowie’s work. As an in-depth scholarly guide and probing navigational tool, Blackstar Theory is a must-read for anyone wishing to engage with the constellation of meanings generated by Bowie’s late music and art. * Lisa Perrott, Senior Lecturer, Waikato University, New Zealand, and series editor of New Approaches to Sound, Music and Media (Bloomsbury) *Leah Kardos’s book is a lovely theoretical company. She notes how music is only a small part of a huge cycle that leads us on to other music, to art and literature via fashion, film, philosophy and form and back to the work in question. * Svenska Dagbladet *Table of ContentsList of musical figures List of track analyses Preface Part 1: Last Act 1. Lateness 2. Remystification 3.The Next Day 4. Assemblage Part 2: Per Ardua ad Astra 5. Icarus Takes His Pratfall 6. Lazarus 7. The Next Bardo Part 3: Black Star 8. Black Holes, Black Music, Black Arts, Black Hearts and Button Eyes 9. Chaos and Chemistry 10. Prodigal Sons 11. Blackstar Theory Epilogue: Legacies and Voids Reference list and bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisEvery album and every song ever released by the Beatles - from "Please Please Me" (U.S. 1963) to "The Long and Winding Road" (U.S. 1970) - is dissected, discussed, and analyzed by two music historians in this lively, fully illustrated work.All the Songs delves deep into the history and origins of the Beatles and their music. This first-of-its-kind book draws upon decades of research, as music historians Margotin and Guesdon recount the circumstances that led to the composition of every song, the recording process, and the instruments used.Here, we learn that one of John Lennon's favorite guitars was a 1958 Rickenbacker 325 Capri, which he bought for £100 in 1960 in Hamburg, Germany. We also learn that "Love Me Do," recorded in Abbey Road Studios in September 1962, took 18 takes to get right, even though it was one of the first songs John and Paul ever wrote together. And the authors reveal that when the Beatles performed "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, John's microphone wasn't turned on, so viewers heard only Paul singing.The hundreds of photographs throughout the book include rare black-and-white publicity stills, images of Beatles instruments, and engaging shots of the musicians in-studio.All the Songs is the must-have book for the any true Beatles fan.

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Book SynopsisIt's 1982 and the Ramones are in a gutter-bound spiral. Following a run of inconsistent albums and deep in the throes of internal tensions the legendary quartet is about to crash and burn.ÞEnter Richie Ramone.ÞThen a 26-year-old from New Jersey named Richard Reinhardt he's snapped up by the group to be their new drummer and instantly goes from the obscurity of the underground club scene to membership in the most famous punk-rock band of all time revitalizing the pioneering outfit with his powerful precise and blindingly fast beats ä composing classic cuts like the menacing anthem Somebody Put Something in My Drink and becoming the only Ramones percussionist to sing lead vocals for the group. With the Ramones he performs over five hundred shows at venues all around the world and records three storming studio albums ä before abruptly quitting the band and going deep underground. To most fans this crucial figure in the band's history has remained a mystery his tale untold.ÞUntil now.ÞÊI Know Better Now: My Life Before During and After the RamonesÊ is the firsthand four-on-the-floor account of a life in rock 'n' roll and in one of its most influential acts ä straight from the sticks of the man who kept the beat.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Absorbing . . . Nichols gives an assured overview of Poulenc’s life and work, applying a light touch that is appropriate to the subject’s man-about-town façade.”—Alex Ross, New Yorker“Roger Nichols examines Poulenc’s life and charming music . . . An accessible biography for the common reader.”—John Check, Wall Street Journal“I don't think anyone writes better about classical music than Nichols, his wry humour and gift for surprising connections never losing touch with scholarly erudition.”—Duncan Fallowell, Spectator“Nichols interweaves life and works in a narrative richly informed by his long immersion in modern French music.”—Rupert Christiansen, Literary Review“True to form, Nichols presents the life of Poulenc in a scholarly, clear and authoritative style…This beautifully produced, meticulously researched book will certainly grace the shelves of music lovers, especially those with a keen interest in French music.”—Stephen Greenbank, MusicWeb International“Refreshingly open about the limits of the evidence, especially for the composer’s various flings, Nichols provides rich context making this essential reading for anyone interested in the French musical culture of Poulenc’s time. This is the biography the composer deserves.”—Christopher Dingle, BBC Music Magazine 'Best Books of 2020'“This expertly researched, well-written volume contains a surprising recent discovery about its subject's private life.”—George Hall, Opera“Expertly details how music drama was an essential part of [Poulenc’s] life and achievement, almost from birth...Nichols presents the full background information needed to understand just how Poulenc became passionate about opera.”—Benjamin Ivry, Opera NowCHOICE 2021 Outstanding Academic Title“Nichols is the perfect biographer for Poulenc. He has the same light touch, the same urbane charm and wit, and he knows everything there is to know about French music, its sources, its context and its psychology.”—Stephen Walsh, author of Debussy“Packed with entertaining detail and engagingly written, Nichols’ biography is essential reading for anyone interested in French music of the 20th century.”—Caroline Potter, author of Erik Satie“A fluent biography, written with sensitivity and compelling enthusiasm for the composer's music. Readers are guided to the poetry behind the music and the theology behind his Carmelites, all in the context of the highs and lows of the life of this fascinating man.”—Professor Richard Langham Smith, Royal College of Music“It is with great expectation that we should welcome the release of this book about the quintessential French musician Francis Poulenc; all the more so for being written by Nichols who is such an authority on the subject.”—Yan Pascal Tortelier, conductor and violinist

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Beethoven, A Life continues the journey towards a more complex and nuanced picture of the great composer. . . . Caeyers seeks to unravel the networks that influenced Beethoven’s career, to paint portraits of those who supported him, and to outline the many interests that were at play in forming Beethoven both as a man and an artist. . . . The result is a very readable book that, as a byproduct, offers a generous supply of scene-setting detail. This ranges from life in Vienna in the early 19th century to the grinding economic impact of the French revolution and its aftermath, and even the bathing customs in Bohemian spa towns." FT Books of the Year 2020 * Financial Times *"Among the books about the legend . . . in this anniversary year, the most substantial is Jan Caeyers’s Beethoven: A Life, a magisterial account, rich in archival findings, translated with revisions from the German edition of 2009." Books of the Year 2020 * Times Literary Supplement *Notable Music Books of 2020 -- Alex Ross, * The Rest is Noise *"Detailed and engaging, this fitting tribute to the iconic composer will enrich anyone’s enjoyment and appreciation of his great music." * Library Journal *Table of ContentsForeword by Daniel Hope Prologue Part One: The Artist as a Young Man (1770–1792) 1 • Louis van Beethoven: A Grandfather Figure 2 • Jean van Beethoven: The Absent Father? 3 • The Early Years 4 • Christian Gottlob Neefe: The Mentor 5 • The Young Professional 6 • Bonn Turns to Vienna 7 • Beethoven’s First Crisis 8 • A Second Home, and New Horizons 9 • Renewed Vigor and the First Major Works 10 • Farewell to Bonn Part Two: A Time of Proving (1792–1802) 11 • Vienna in 1792 12 • Beethoven’s First Patron: Karl von Lichnowsky 13 • Haydn and Albrechtsberger 14 • Career Plans 15 • Family, Friends, and Loves in Vienna 16 • In Anticipation of Greater Things 17 • Lobkowitz’s “Center of Excellence” 18 • The Immortal Beloved: Episode One 19 • The Road to a Broader Public 20 • A Word from the Critics 21 • The Disciples: Carl Czerny and Ferdinand Ries 22 • The Heiligenstadt Testament Part Three: The Master (1802–1809) 23 • A “New Way” Forward 24 • The Laboratorium Artificiosum 25 • Publishing Pains and the “Warehouse of the Arts” 26 • Composer in Residence 27 • Salieri’s Opera Lessons 28 • The Mystery of the Eroica 29 • The Immortal Beloved: Episode Two 30 • In Search of the Perfect Piano 31 • Leonore: A Work in Progress 32 • The Golden Years Part Four: Crowds and Power (1809–1816) 33 • A New Social Status 34 • New Prospects 35 • An Imperial Pupil 36 • Beethoven and Goethe 37 • The Immortal Beloved: Episode Three 38 • Se non è vero . . . 39 • The End of the Classical Symphony 40 • Music for the Masses 41 • A Lucrative Sideline 42 • From Leonore to Fidelio 43 • From Coffee and Cake to Congress and Kitsch 44 • The Fight for a Child 45 • From the “Immortal Beloved” to a “Distant Beloved” Part Five: The Lonely Way (1816–1827) 46 • Longing for Greater Things 47 • Post-Congress Vienna 48 • London Plans 49 • A Faustian Sonata and a Diabolical Contraption 50 • The Missa solemnis: A Mass for Peace 51 • The Circle Is Complete: The Late Piano Works 52 • Estrangement 53 • Encounters with the Younger Generation 54 • An Ode to Joy 55 • Decline 56 • Karl’s Emancipation 57 • Money Matters 58 • The Discovery of Heaven: The Late String Quartets 59 • Comoedia finita est Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Illustration Credits Index of Works Index of People

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Book SynopsisMax Baca was born to play music. By his eighth birthday, he was already playing in his father's band. Polkas, redovas, corridos, boleros, chotises, huapangos, and waltzes were in his blood. Baca's music grew out of the harsh life of the borderland, and the duality of borderland music remains a recurring theme in everything he does.

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Book Synopsis“Friend, asshole, angel, mutant,” singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt “came along and made us gross and broken people seem . . . I dunno, cooler, I guess.” A quadriplegic who could play only simple chords on his guitar, Chesnutt recorded seventeen critically acclaimed albums before his death in 2009, including About to Choke, North Star Deserter, and At the Cut. In 2006, NPR placed him in the top five of the ten best living songwriters, along with Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Paul McCartney, and Bruce Springsteen. Chesnutt’s songs have also been covered by many prominent artists, including Madonna, the Smashing Pumpkins, R.E.M., Sparklehorse, Fugazi, and Neutral Milk Hotel.Kristin Hersh toured with Chesnutt for nearly a decade and they became close friends, bonding over a love of songwriting and mutual struggles with mental health. In Don’t Suck, Don’t Die, she describes many seemingly small moments they shared, their Trade ReviewThe book's great sadness is matched by the skill and vitality of Hersh's writing; it will make treasured and troubled reading for fans of Chesnutt and the author alike. * Kirkus Reviews *Don't Suck, Don't Die is not only one of the best books of the year, it's one of the most beautiful rock memoirs ever written. Hersh is as stunningly talented an author as she is a musician, and her portrayal of Chesnutt is perfectly done. * NPR *A raw, poetic memoir . . . a last, wonderful example of Chesnutt at his most charismatically mischievous * The Guardian *Hersh’s language is vivid and conversational, as descriptive and elliptical as her own music. * Salon *[Hersh’s] observations . . . always ring with a harsh lyrical truth . . . an eloquent, heartbreaking testament. * Pitchfork *In under 200 little pages, it paints a more honest, insightful picture of the late singer-songwriter than any biography could . . . Beautifully, poetically told. * MOJO *A powerful and moving insight . . . A book that will move anyone who’s loved and lost, regardless of whether they’re a fan of the author of Chesnutt. * R2 *An intimate, complicated portrait of the artist as road warrior . . . a beautiful but often dark, heartbreaking read. * Atlanta Journal-Constitution *An ode, an elegy and an examination of the physics of friendship. * WABE 90.1 Atlanta *Through beautifully phrased, dark, honest prose, [Hersh] paints a poetic portrait of earnest struggle, friendship as significant savior, and learned empathy. * The Austin Chronicle *The music made by the late Vic Chesnutt was evocative, haunting and often heartbreaking. Kristin Hersh's book about the singer-songwriter shares all of these qualities . . . It's a book that gives a tremendous sense of what friendship with such a person was like, for good and for bad, and leaves the reader feeling his absence even more once the book has ended. * Rolling Stone *It’s messy and spiky and unforgiving, crushingly sad, sometimes funny, and humane . . . I couldn’t speak for a while after finishing Hersh’s book. * Inside Higher Ed *[I]n this haunting, poetic, musical road show memoir, singer/songwriter Kristin Hersh takes us inside her friendship with Chesnutt. Her experience is as insightful to a musician's life as it is to the human existence—constantly probing and reevaluating self-understanding along with her footing on the planet. . . . There are lines you'll never forget, and you can't help but love the adorable, self-sabotaging, curmudgeon Chesnutt revealed in these pages. You'll wish you'd been there to absorb his flak backstage or in the southern sun. On balance, this book stands as a testament to the sincerity of his songwriting. * The US Review of Books *[A] piercing chronicle...Hersh uses vivid, engaging prose to capture Chesnutt’s complicated nature...Don’t Suck, Don’t Die is a moving portrait of an artistic genius—and a vulnerable manual on how to navigate immense grief after the death of someone we love. * The A.V. Club, "The 15 most essential music bios (and autobiographies) so far this century" *Table of Contents Foreword by Amanda Petrusich I. Eat Candy II. Thickety Time III. Go Outside and Look at the Moon IV. First, Give V. See You in My Dreams Selected Discography

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Book SynopsisHow a DJ’s innovative chopped and screwed technique changed the Houston hip-hop scene.Trade ReviewWeaving flashes of his own voice into an oral history featuring over 130 of Screw’s friends, family, heroes, students, and more, Walker stitches together a full picture of the iconic DJ’s legacy. -- Mankaprr Conteh * Rolling Stone *DJ Screw: A Life in Slow Revolution offers an overdue look at the life of this titan and his often-overlooked compatriots...the Screw bio lays out a historically informed, nuanced survey of the economic and technological factors that drove an artist’s creations and the Screwed Up Click’s career...A Life in Slow Revolution not only offers Screw the studied biographical record he deserves, but also puts so many of his fellow S.U.C. members, who’d never gotten a high-profile book of their own, squarely within the rap canon: Al-D, E.S.G., Big Pokey, Big Moe, and, of course, Big Floyd. -- Nitish Pahwa * Slate *This book is the ultimate word on both [DJ Screw] and his seismic imprint...Walker transubstantiates Screw’s lore into something more permanent and tangible, interviewing just about everyone that ever knew the DJ, along with a number of aficionados and famous fans of his that helped make the Screw tape the hip-hop fetish objects that they have become in the decades since Davis’s death. -- Israel Daramola * Vulture, "The 18 Best Books of the Year (So Far)" *DJ Screw: A Life in Slow Revolution is a worthwhile biography and oral history, even for those who already know the story of Screw's short, impactful life....this book is a worthy topography of Screw’s life, from its humble start to its tragic end. -- Chris Vognar * Texas Monthly *[DJ Screw] delivers not just the story of one individual but the birth of a culture and the rise of a movement. We get to feel the excitement, pitfalls, rivalries and triumphs of a young scene coming into its own...[DJ Screw is] a deeply researched and carefully curated work, devoting as much consideration to Screw’s own story as it does to those he influenced and those who influenced him...Walker’s extensive knowledge of and, more important, his great respect for his subject come across on the page...[Walker's] prose often has the rhythm and flow of poetry. -- Santi Elijah Holley * Washington Post *In this sensational oral history, hip-hop historian Walker (Houston Rap Tapes) offers a riveting look at why 'DJ Screw is the stuff of Texas legend'...Though [DJ Screw's] life was cut short, Walker’s meticulous account underscores the enduring legacy of the rapper’s pioneering music and his awe-inspiring ability to capture 'the sound of the streets.' This engrossing work will fascinate fans. * Publishers Weekly *An ambitious love letter to one of Houston’s beloved mixtape kings...An insightful portrait sure to engage DJ Screw’s longtime fans and newcomers alike. * Kirkus, Starred Review *[A] fascinating oral history chronicling the life of DJ Screw...Walker’s years of research and personal expertise about Houston’s music scene will help cement Screw’s legacy as an innovator who still inspires. * Library Journal *The 'chopped and screwed' sound has become such a staple of hip-hop that most fans probably don’t even wonder where the slowed-down, stop-start sonic approach came from—and thus, the late DJ Screw, a.k.a. Houston native Robert Earl Davis Jr., is one of the truly unsung heroes of the genre...he's finally receiving his due in the form of DJ Screw: A Life in Slow Revolution. -- Jem Aswad * Variety *The sort of history from below that Walker pursues [in DJ Screw], organised around dialogues with Screw's family and friends, and framed by some light touch narration, seems appropriate. This is the story, after all, of a folk hero who rarely left his hometown...and who resided outside the circuits of official culture...As a written form, oral history suits the circumstantial nature of Screw's artistic development too...It's a form that also serves here to dispel some enduring myths, especially the oft repeated function of Screw's sound to a function of intoxication. -- Paul Rekret * The Wire *To have created music so immersive, and sedated to the point of psychedelia, it was assumed [DJ Screw] had to have been out of his mind, operating in his infamous Wood Room home studio on a different time zone to the rest of us. I’ve honestly lost count of the internet posts I’ve read telling me Screw’s music doesn’t make sense unless you listen to it stoned. Yet what’s so great about veteran writer Lance Scott Walker’s long-awaited DJ Screw...is how it demystifies all this, treating its subject less like a mysterious campfire tale and more like a human being...[DJ Screw] is a breezy combination of biography and oral history. -- Thomas Hobbs * Okayplayer *DJ Screw single handedly created a hip-hop culture in Houston. Screw’s invention has inspired superstars like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and A$AP Rocky. And via interviews from family, friends, and Chopped and Screwed nerds, he finally gets his due. -- Darryl Robertson * Esquire, "Best Music Books of 2022 (So Far)" *[DJ Screw is one] of the best books of this year...[breaks] every rule of the hip hop biography to rewrite them in a way that suggests something new, and more ambitious for the future of rap scholarship. -- Abe Beame * Passion of the Weiss *[A] sprawling story of the man who put Houston rap on the map...In talking to most of the Houston rap world, Walker is able to paint a portrait of the artist that hasn't really been seen before. -- Chris O'Connell * MySA *This book is an absolute powerhouse...Lance Scott Walker delivers a poignant and personal tale that should solidify and codify Screw’s place in the hip-hop pantheon while also never shying away from who he was as a person in everyday life. -- Adam P. Newton * Bearded Gentlemen Music *Walker...manages to harness the flashlike life and career [of DJ Screw] and slow it down to create a clearer representation of a crucial 20th-century artist. Through hundreds of interviews with family, friends and collaborators spanning thousands of hours, Walker presents Screw’s work not as an incredible moment of combustion but rather what the title implies: a slow revolution. -- Andrew Dansby * Houston Chronicle *DJ Screw: A Life in Slow Revolution is an essential book for any hip hop fan. Few artists changed hip hop the way that Screw did, creating a distinct production style that was immediately recognizable and quickly associated with the sound of Houston. As you read this book, you not only get a sense for how that happened and how DJ Screw worked, but you get a sense of how much the greater Houston area latched on to what he was building and made it a part of their identity. It’s a loving and well-researched book that fills in a gap on any hip hop lover’s book shelf. -- Chi Chi Thalken * Scratched Vinyl *[Walker] uses Davis’s story to cobble together the history of Houston hip-hop’s early days...he makes Screw an oral history, rounding up quotes (many from firsthand interviews) from the men and women who were there...Even in death, J Dilla and DJ Screw continue to be two of the most influential figures in hip-hop. And Charnas and Walker use their biographies to remind both diehards and novices why that is — and to give the performers hella flowers in the process. * Los Angeles Review of Books *Walker does scrupulous research in the form of a broad span of interviews with nearly everyone who knew the seminal Houston DJ. -- Jordannah Elizabeth * New York Amsterdam News *[Walker] has made the story of rap in Houston accessible for those who weren’t there to experience it...Walker is discreet, taking up only as much space as necessary to put order to his narratives and leaving the rest for witnesses and participants to fill in. His work is a portrait of a time hard to remember now, even for those of us who lived it...and it deserves a place alongside such classics of American oral history as Please Kill Me, The Other Hollywood, and Meet Me in the Bathroom. -- Adrian Nathan West * The Baffler *Every hip hop fan should know not just DJ Screw’s name, but also the deep influence he had on all of modern music...To get the full story of his extraordinary life, author Lance Scott Walker spoke to childhood friends, collaborators, and rap moguls to paint a picture of just how important he was to not just his community, but music as a whole. * VICE, "The Best Gifts for Every Music Lover" *An amalgam of firsthand accounts from the people closest to DJ Screw, from family and close friends to members of Screwed Up Click (the popular hip hop collective he founded)...While the book’s narrative ultimately ends in tragedy, readers are also exposed to the beauty, brotherhood, generosity, and passion for music that dominated DJ Screw’s life...Told in detailed and intimate language, each person Walker interviews helps personify the kind of man and artist DJ Screw was, no matter what name you might have known him by. -- Shelby Stewart * Houstonia Magazine *

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Book SynopsisFrom the young Black teenager who built a bass guitar in woodshop to the musician building a solo career with Motown Records—Prince’s bassist BrownMark on growing up in Minneapolis, joining Prince and The Revolution, and his life in the purple kingdom In the summer of 1981, Mark Brown was a teenager working at a 7-11 store when he wasn’t rehearsing with his high school band, Phantasy. Come fall, Brown, now called BrownMark, was onstage with Prince at the Los Angeles Coliseum, opening for the Rolling Stones in front of 90,000 people. My Life in the Purple Kingdom is BrownMark’s memoir of coming of age in the musical orbit of one of the most visionary artists of his generation. Raw, wry, real, this book takes us from his musical awakening as a boy in Minneapolis to the cold call from Prince at nineteen, from touring the world with The Revolution and performing in Purple Rain to inking his own contract with Motown.BrownMark’s story is that of a hometown kid, living for sunny days when his transistor would pick up KUXL, a solar-powered, shut-down-at-sundown station that was the only one that played R&B music in Minneapolis in 1968. But once he took up the bass guitar—and never looked back—he entered a whole new realm, and, literally at the right hand of Twin Cities musical royalty, he joined the funk revolution that integrated the Minneapolis music scene and catapulted him onto the international stage. BrownMark describes how his funky stylings earned him a reputation (leading to Prince’s call) and how he and Prince first played together at that night’s sudden audition—and never really stopped. He takes us behind the scenes as few can, into the confusing emotional and professional life among the denizens of Paisley Park, and offers a rare, intimate look into music at the heady heights that his childhood self could never have imagined.An inspiring memoir of making it against stacked odds, experiencing extreme highs and lows of success and pain, and breaking racial barriers, My Life in the Purple Kingdom is also the story of a young man learning his craft and honing his skill like any musician, but in a world like no other and in a way that only BrownMark could tell it.Trade Review"A story of low notes and high stakes, of Revolution and of evolution, of bands and fans and best-laid plans, of pills and thrills and daffodils. Hang tough, children, and read it."—Questlove, from the Foreword"This is not a tell-all book. It is simply a candid, honest, heartfelt story about a young kid who goes on to achieve his dream of making it in the music industry, and the price that he pays along the way. It’s an uplifting tale about working with Prince, and it is an enjoyable read that serves as another piece of the puzzle that is Prince."—The Great Song Traveler"This page-turning memoir... will appeal to BrownMark’s fans and general music enthusiasts."—Library Journal"Those looking for a memoir awash in sex, drugs, and the seamier sides of Prince’s private life will instead discover hard work and rigid discipline under a stern taskmaster, an artist who became what he was through minute attention to detail as well as genius. A memoir of vivid detail and understandable ambivalence."—Kirkus Reviews"If you want to get to know Mark Brown, the human, I would say this book is a good way to go."—Insight News"The profound life lessons BrownMark learned while playing in the Revolution, as well as his experiences touring the world with Prince, forever changed his life. And BrownMark proudly carries those memories with him as he continues to blaze new trails while keeping Prince’s legacy alive."—City Pages"Simultaneously poignant and inspiring."—The Arts Fuse"By turns a reflective examination of his own place in the Paisley world over those years and a straight-shooting account of the less beautiful side of Prince’s modus operandi at his commercial zenith."—SoulTracks"An arresting piece of social history, often interesting and original."—Moving the River"Enlightening."—Chicago Review of Books"This memoir could be a real inspiration to someone with dreams."—The Bookworm Sez"My Life in the Purple Kingdom makes it clear anyone who thinks BrownMark was handed phenomenal success at a young age on a platter can think again."—Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder "Seemingly overnight, BrownMark was thrown into an entirely different reality, sharing the stage with The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and more. With Prince & The Revolution, he’d tour the world in one of the most iconic bands in history, perform some the greatest hits in popular music and experience an overwhelming level of fame."—Forbes Magazine Table of ContentsContentsForewordQuestlovePrologueRadio DaysDiscovery YearsChain ReactionsThe Skin I’m InNew Look, New SoundOff to See the WizardPrimping for PrnControversy, SexualityThreshold of a NightmareControversy TourMojo1999The ShadowLet’s Go CrazyThe Carrot and the Hat TrickThe Bitter TasteMoving OnEpilogue

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Book SynopsisThe Biographic series presents an entirely new way of looking at the lives of the world's greatest thinkers and creatives. It takes the 50 defining facts, dates, thoughts, habits and achievements of each subject, and uses infographics to convey all of them in vivid snapshots. Each Biographic title is designed to be as entertaining as it is informative. Timelines not only pinpoint significant dates, but set them in the context and culture of their times. Dynamic maps locate biographical events alongside other points of interest. Character traits are illuminated by visual comparisons. Many people know that David Bowie (1947–2016) was an iconic singer, songwriter and actor, whose lyrics, performances and ever-changing persona were at the heart of pop culture for over five decades. What, perhaps, they don't know is that he smoked 80 cigarettes a day, acted in 27 films, sold over 140 million albums and once shared a Berlin apartment with Iggy Pop. Biographic: Bowie presents an instant impression of his life, work and fame, with an array of irresistible facts and figures converted into infographics to reveal the artist behind the music.

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Book SynopsisTraces the position, experiences and reception of women in Irish traditional music through detailed ethnographic and statistical findings.This book is the first of its kind to engage in the larger subject of women in commercial Irish traditional music. It considers the experiences of performers in the various commercial arenas of the tradition, while also engaging in critical discussions of choice, agency, feminism and sexualisation. It reveals how the commercial music industry and Celtic music label continues to place women within a stereotypical idealised role or occupation.The book provides new insight into the legacy of women-led bands and compilations as well as their impact on Irish traditional music over five decades. Its findings on commercial dance shows are equally significant. While these shows had a positive impact on performers, at the same time they enforced gendered, racial and heteronormative expectations. Drawing on extensive ethnographic and statistical research, the book finds strong evidence that women and other marginalised practitioners continue to face greater challenges and different expectations when maintaining a professional career and participating in Irish traditional music. It also uncovers characteristics and dynamics related to the recreational and commercial spaces of the Irish traditional music and Irish dance scene that enable harmful and predatory behaviour. The author's findings support understandings and aid future legislation for creating a safe, inclusive and equitable performance space for all.Cover artwork by Claire Prouvost

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Book SynopsisSpeaking for the first time about the profound impact that his brother's death had on him, the author offers a tribute to Duane that only a younger brother could write, showing how, to this day, he still confronts the grief of losing his big brother, even as Duane continues to guide and inspire him.Trade Review...This book is everything you could hope for: in a grizzled, laconic drawl, Allman provides a rambling backstage account of his five decades with the Allman Brothers Band, and he doesn't seem to hold anything back. -- New York Times Book Review A soul-searching rumination on a hard-lived life... For generations of fans, Allman's book provides insights into the many turns in that long road... MY CROSS TO BEAR carries a welcome seal of honesty. -- USA Today In his memoir, the rambling and rambunctious Gregg Allman lays bare his soul... In the end, Allman, writing with music journalist Light, has produced a fiercely honest memoir. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) This is a story about musical brotherhood. Rich and moving... Nothing less than profound. Life, love and music from one of the most influential American recording artists of the last 40 years. -- Kirkus Reviews "Packed with juicy anecdotes, gripping details and raw energy...Fans of the Allman Brothers Band are certain to relish the revelations... MY CROSS TO BEAR provides a window into Allman's tortured soul - he presents himself as a man cracked and flawed, yet somehow intact." -- Birmingham News

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Book SynopsisFrom his early work as lyricist for West Side Story to acclaimed creations such as A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George, and Sweeney Todd, Stephen Sondheim is widely regarded as the most important figure in musical theater since the second half of the 20th century. Who better to discuss this prolific artist’s work than the master himself? Sondheim on Music: Minor Details and Major Decisions is a collection of interviews conducted by Mark Eden Horowitz, senior music specialist in the music division of the Library of Congress. In these guided conversations, Sondheim expounds in great depth and detail on his craft. As a natural teacher, thoughtful and opinionated, Sondheim discusses the art of musical composition, lyric writing, the collaborative process of musical theater, and how he thinks about his own work. The entire scope of Sondheim’s career is covered here, in which Sondheim’s greatest works are discussed—from Passion, Assassins, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, and Pacific Overtures to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Merrily We Roll Along, Company, Follies, Anyone Can Whistle, and A Little Night Music. Sondheim even provides thoughts about the film adaptations of his works, such as Sweeney Todd. The book also features an entire chapter on Bounce, the previous incarnation of his latest musical, Road Show. Preserving the essential elements of the previous volumes, this edition includes all of the interviews—verbatim—and features a revised introduction and a postlude with an additional conversation. Finally in paperback, Sondheim on Music: Minor Details and Major Decisions, The Less Is More Edition is a must-have for fans of these creative genius.Trade ReviewI've learned so much from the work of Stephen Sondheim, and in this book, others interested in the craft of musical theatre composition, whether as professionals or fans, will find a myriad of lessons and inspirations. -- Stephen Schwartz, composer/lyricist, Wicked; GodspellIndispensable for any student, writer, or ardent fan of drama and musical theater. It puts the reader in the room with one of our greatest American masters. -- Jeanine Tesori, composer of Caroline, or Change and Fun HomeHorowitz has managed to relax Sondheim into loquacity, technical generosity, and humour far more than most, perhaps all, of his predecessors (and there have been many); they exude an unusual sense of well-being, for which Horowitz must be credited with extraordinary skill and amenability. -- Stephen Banfield * The Musical Times *Any with a curiosity about the musical theatre of the past half century or a passing interest in the creative process behind it will find gems here. The real meat of the book is in free-ranging discussions of Sondheim’s choices, tastes, and reflections on music and theater throughout and beyond his own career. -- Rob Kendt, Backstage WestMark Horowitz reveals the compositional process of Stephen Sondheim through a fascinating series of conversations with the composer. It is thrilling to discover the intimate details of how these classic songs, scores, and shows were created. Utterly captivating and illuminating. -- Stephen Flaherty, Tony Award-winning composer of Ragtime, Once On This Island, and SeussicalOne of the finest books focusing on [Sondheim's] work. * Playbill *In these remarkable dialogues Mark Horowitz has elicited cogent, illuminating insights into the creative process from Stephen Sondheim, the ever-astonishing titan of the musical stage. -- Robert Kimball, Musical theatre historian and artistic advisor to the estates of Cole Porter and Ira GershwinSondheim devotees will be forever grateful to Library of Congress music specialist Mark Horowitz for the interviews he conducted with Sondheim. -- Chip Brown * Smithsonian Magazine *An excellent companion work to the esteemed composer's book. Horowitz skillfully balances his technical content, serving both the needs of the music student and the theatre enthusiast. * Bay Stages *A provocative, illuminating portrait of a creative powerhouse. * Baltimore Sun *Recommended for libraries with a prominent emphasis on music. * Library Journal *For musicians, Horowitz's book is a treasure trove of self-revelation from the most significant living composer for the American musical theatre. * International Record Review *What sets this milestone work apart from other texts on Sondheim or other interviews with the composer is the fine balance between broad and specific questions. The broader questions can be understood and enjoyed by any audience, since they deal very generally with Sondheim's thoughts and opinions about theatre. On the other hand, the specific questions provide an outstanding, first person source for scholars of music and theatre in particular, with pointed discussions on the musical scores, and a rare view of Sondheim's own compositional sketches. * Studies In Musical Theatre *Mr. Sondheim was interviewed on stage by Mark Eden Horowitz, whose essential book, Sondheim on Music, offers in-depth discussions with the composer. * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisThe authorised biography of one of the most creative and colourful musicians of the 60s, featuring extracts from his previously unpublished memoirs. Reissued with new cover art and foreword.

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Book Synopsis* The sensational autobiography of Sharon Osbourne - the First Lady of Rock - an icon for our times with an amazing story to tell - from an often shocking childhood, through a rollercoaster marriage, and still hitting the headlines today.Trade ReviewI have been kept awake for the past two nights, utterly gripped by Sharon's story . . . She makes Keith Richards, Kurt Cobain et all look like kiddies at a tea party, overdosing on fizzy drinks . . . she is radiant, confident, assertive and glamorous. And enormously successful, having turned Ozzy's career into a multimillion-dollar global industry, having recovered from colon cancer herself, and having finally seen her husband do a year without a drink. She is totally phenomenal * SUNDAY INDEPENDENT (IRELAND) *An emotional roller-coaster read. If you thought you'd already had a warts-and-all look at the Osbournes, think again. Sharon's frank memoirs lift the lid on what really goes on in their crazy house. Her wickedly infectious sense of humour sparkles on ev * B MAGAZINE *Sharon has beaten cancer, starred in the X Factor, and been the steely heart of The Osbournes, that jaw-dropping real-life soap opera of a genuinely loving family . . . vividly captured here in this pungent and distinctive autobiography * SUNDAY TIMES *She is currently scaling the heights of a career that has now surpassed her famous husband, and this is Sharon's story. Explicit in detail with her characteristically fruitful turn of phrase, this book will have you laughing out loud * WOMAN’S WAY *

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Book SynopsisOutside his native France, the view of Serge Gainsbourg was once of a one-hit wonder lothario. This has been slowly replaced by an awareness of how talented and innovative a songwriter he was. Gainsbourg was an eclectic, protean figure; a Dadaist, poète maudit, Pop-Artist, libertine and anti-hero. An icon and iconoclast. His masterpiece is arguably Histoire de Melody Nelson, an album suite combining many of his signature themes; sex, taboo, provocation, humour, exoticism and ultimately tragedy. Composed and arranged with the great Jean-Claude Vannier, its score of lush cinematic strings and proto-hip hop beats, combined with Serge's spoken-word poetry, has become remarkably influential across a vast musical spectrum; inspiring soundtracks, indie groups and electronic artists. In recent years, the album's reputation has grown from cult status to that of a modern classic with the likes of Beck, Portishead, Mike Patton, Air and Pulp paying tribute. How did the son of Jewish Russian immigrants, hounded during the Nazi Occupation, rise to such notoriety and acclaim, being celebrated by President François Mitterand as "our Baudelaire, our Apollinaire"? How did the early chanson singer evolve into a musical visionary incorporating samples, breakbeats and dub into his music, decades ahead of the curve? And what are the roots and legacy of a concept album about a Rolls Royce, a red-haired Lolita muse, otherworldly mansions, plane crashes and Cargo Cults?Trade ReviewThis book is intended to be a biography of an album, but due to Darran Anderson’s thorough research and skilled prose storytelling, Serge Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson morphs into a brilliant (if often dark) illustration of Serge Gainsbourg himself, even more than that of the title character, Melody Nelson. That said, when one knows this much more about the album, the artist and his muse, much like the narrator himself, one will find it almost impossible to avoid falling in love with Melody. -- J.C. Macek III * PopMatters *Table of ContentsIntroduction Early Days The Chanson Years Turning Point Histoire de Melody Nelson The Aftermath Influence

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Book SynopsisIn 1991, a loose-knit collective released a record called Blue Lines under the name Massive Attack, splicing together American hip-hop and soul with the sounds of the British underground. With its marauding bass lines, angular guitars, and psychedelic effects, Blue Lines built on the Caribbean soundsystems and nascent rave scene of the 1980s while also looking ahead to the group's signature blend of epic cinematics and lush downtempo. In the process, Blue Lines invented an entirely new genre called trip hop and launched the career of a rapper named Tricky.Ultimately, Blue Lines created the sonic playbook for an emerging future: hybrid, digital, cosmopolitan, and rooted in the black and immigrant communities who animated the urban wreckage of the postindustrial city. Massive Attack envisioned an alternate future in sharp counterpoint to the glossy triumphalism of Brit Pop. And while the group would go on to bigger things, this record was both a warning shTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Cider Punks 2 Five Man Army 3 The Coach House 4 The Tricky Kid Interlude: Living in My Headphones 5 The Cherry Bear Organization 6 Flammable Materials 7 Daydreaming 8 Big Wheel Keeps on Turning Notes

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times bestseller, revised and updated for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. ---- As heard throughout 2020 on Classic FM ---- You know the music... but do you know the man? ---- Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the world's best loved and most influential composers. His life - its dramas, conflicts, loves and losses - is played out in his music. ---- In this special edition to mark the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth - with a new section featuring his most celebrated pieces - John Suchet shows us the man behind the music. He reveals a difficult and complex character, struggling to continue his profession as musician despite increasing deafness, alienating friends with unprovoked outbursts of anger one moment, overwhelming them with excessive kindness and generosity the next, living in a city in almost constant disarray because of war with France. ---- This is the real Beethoven, and Suchet brings him faithfully and vividly to life. ---- This updated edition of Suchet's acclaimed biography contains new material, including a detailed guide to Beethoven's most important compositions, family tree and timeline.Table of ContentsContents; Note on this Edition ... xi; Preface ... xv; Prologue ... xviii; 1. The Spaniard ... 1; 2. The Right Teacher ... 23; 3. Meeting Mozart ... 42; 4. Word Spreads ... 61; 5. Impressing the Viennese ... 88; 6. My Poor Hearing Haunts Me ... 105; 7. Only My Art Held Me Back ... 121; 8. Egyptian Hieroglyphics ... 134; 9. O, Beloved J! ... 151; 10. A Deeply Immoral Woman ... 168; 11. Under Cannon Fire ... 188; 12. Immortal Beloved ... 202; 13. An Utterly Untamed Personality ... 216; 14. Into the Witness Box ... 235; 15. A Musical Gift from London ... 252; 16. 'I Want to Be a Soldier' ... 273; 17. Two Pistols and Gunpowder ... 291; 18. Frightening the Oxen ... 307; 19. Terminally Ill ... 323; 20. The Last Master ... 339; Postscript ... 346; Beethoven's Music ... 351; Cast of Characters ... 407; Timeline ... 419; Acknowledgements ... 431; About Classic FM ... 433; Index ... 435; About the Author ... 443

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Book SynopsisRush. In their own words, 'The World's Biggest Cult Band', started from humble beginnings: three suburban teenagers. Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and John Rutsey formed a Led Zeppelin-influenced trio, eventually scratching a living playing the bars and clubs of their native Toronto.

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Book SynopsisA complete new edition of Beethoven's conversation books, in 12 volumes, now translated into English in their entirety for the first time. Covering a period associated with the revolutionary style of what we call "late Beethoven", these lively and compelling conversations are now finally accessible in English for the scholar and Beethoven-lover.Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is recognized the world over as a composer of musical masterpieces exhibiting heroic strength, particularly in the face of his increasing deafness from ca. 1798. By 1818, the Viennese composer had begun carrying blank booklets with him, for his acquaintances to jot their sides of conversations, while he answered aloud. Often, he himself used the pocket-sized booklets to make shopping lists and other reminders, including occasional early sketches for his compositions. Today, 139 of these booklets survive, covering the years 1818 up to the composer's death in 1827 and including such topics as music, history, politics, art, literature, theatre, religion, and education as perceived on a day-to-day basis in post-Napoleonic Europe. An East German edition, begun in the 1960s and essentially complete by 2001, represents a diplomatic transcription of these documents. It is a masterpiece of pure scholarship but is difficult to use for anyone who is not a specialist. Moreover, Beethoven scholarship has moved on significantly since the long-ranging genesis of the German edition.These important booklets are here translated into English in their entirety for the first time. The volumes in this series include an updated editorial apparatus, with revised and expanded notes and many new footnotes exclusive to this edition, and brand new introductions, which together place many of the quickly changing conversational topics into context. Due to the editor's many years of research in Vienna, his acquaintance with its history and topography, as well as his familiarity with obscure documentary resources, this edition represents an entirely new venture in source studies - vitally informative for scholars not only in music but also in a wide variety of disciplines. At the same time, these often lively and compelling conversations are now finally accessible for the English-speaking music lover or history buff who might want to dip into them and hear what Beethoven and his friends were discussing at the next table.

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Book SynopsisEarly on in their relationship Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel realised two things. Firstly, the world liked them working together. Secondly, they didn't. With exclusive interviews with fellow musicians, promoters and those who knew him, and with much unique material, this will be the definitive account of Simon and Garfunkel and their careers.

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Book SynopsisThe essays in "The Resistible Demise of Michael Jackson" consummately demonstrate that writing on popular culture can be both thoughtful and heartfelt. The contributors, who include accomplished music critics as well as renowned theorists, are some of the most astute and eloquent writers on pop today. The collection is made up of new essays written in the wake of Jackson's death, and includes Barney Hoskyns' classic "NME" piece written at the time of "Thriller", and contributions from Ian Penman, David Stubbs, Paul Lester, and Chris Roberts.

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Book SynopsisPaolo Hewitt grew up in care in Woking in the 1960s and 70s, an experience he chronicled in his acclaimed memoir, The Looked After Kid. He moved to London in 1980 to become a music journalist and worked for Melody Maker and NME. In the early 1990s Paolo gave up full-time journalism to write his first novel, Heaven's Promise. He has since written biographies of The Jam, The Small Faces, Oasis and Steve Marriott. He lives in London.Trade ReviewPowerful and even emotional ... probably one of the best books about what it's like to be a Famous Person's Friend. And it's almost certainly the definitive Weller biography. * The Word *Fascinating... Hewitt pries into the dark corners of a personality that has long been kept under lock and key. * Guardian *A one-off... an intimate picture of a seemingly arrogant man * Metro *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Essential in filling out a more humane and complete portrait of the composer and his art.”—Jeremy Eichler, The Boston Globe“These newly translated documents provide deeper insight both into Tchaikovsky himself, and the family circle and larger society in which he was active.”—Rebecca Mitchell, Canadian-American Slavic Studies“This English-language version of the ground-breaking original Russian text has been prepared with great skill and care. The notes are particularly admirable, and the translations of the letters and other documents impeccable”– Arnold McMillin, The Slavonic and East European ReviewWinner of the Outstanding Academic Title for 2018 award sponsored by Choice"We are now at home with much that was once taboo about Tchaikovsky—his tsarist loyalties, his homosexuality, how he died. But the Sentimentalism of his letters, its emotional register, still startles the modern reader. This revealing collection helps us see that how one writes letters is only a small part of who one is."—Caryl Emerson, Princeton University“This collection of finely translated letters, documents, and musical mementos moves Tchaikovsky considerably beyond the vapid biographical clichés of yesteryear. Turns out, the genius was also a human being —funny, coarse, germaphobic, borderline alcoholic, with great friends and supportive siblings. Gay? Fine by them.”—Simon Morrison, Princeton University"This indispensable volume, containing copious unpublished private correspondence, allows us to gain an unparalleled insight into Tchaikovsky as a human being, and thus move beyond the clichés surrounding the composer’s biography." —Rosamund Bartlett, author of Tolstoy: A Russian Life

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Book SynopsisGeechi Suede and Sonny Cheeba are Camp Lo. These two emcees from the Bronx, NY entered the American hip hop scene with an insider slang that bewildered listeners as they radiated the look of a bygone era of black culture. In 1996, they collaborated with producer Ski and a host of other contributors to create Uptown Saturday Night, featuring the seminal single Luchini (a.k.a. This is It). While other 1990s rappers referred to 1970s Blaxploitation culture, Camp Lo were self-described time travelers who weaved the slang and style of a soulful past into state-of-the-art lyrical flows. Uptown Saturday Night is a tapestry of 1970s black popular culture and 1990s New York City hip hop. This volume will detail how the album's fantastic world of Coolie High reflected classic films like Cooley High and the Sidney Poitier film from which the album's title is derived, and promoted vintage slang and fashion. The book features new interviews with Camp Lo, producer Ski, Trugoy tTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Black Nostaljack 2. Coolie High Gotcha Wide 3. D&D, Ski, and the Recording of Uptown 4. Blahzay, Blahzay, Blahzay 5. Diamond Crooks vs. the American Music Industry Appendix: The Lo Lexicon

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Book SynopsisKoji Kondo’s Super Mario Bros. (1985) score redefined video game music. With under three minutes of music, Kondo put to rest an era of bleeps and bloops—the sterile products of a lab environment—replacing it with one in which game sounds constituted a legitimate form of artistic expression. Andrew Schartmann takes us through the various external factors (e.g., the video game crash of 1983, Nintendo’s marketing tactics) that coalesced into a ripe environment in which Kondo’s musical experiments could thrive. He then delves into the music itself, searching for reasons why our hearts still dance to the “primitive” 8-bit tunes of a bygone era. What musical features are responsible for Kondo’s distinct “Mario sound”? How do the different themes underscore the vastness of Princess Peach’s Mushroom Kingdom? And in what ways do the game’s sound effects resonate with our physical experience of the world? These and other questions are explored within, through the lens of Kondo’s compositional philosophy—one that would influence an entire generation of video game composers. As Kondo himself stated, “we [at Nintendo] were trying to do something that had never been done before.” In this book, Schartmann shows his readers how Kondo and his team not just succeeded, but heralded in a new era of video games.Trade ReviewSchartmann is convincing on Kondo's genius ... It's hard not to appreciate his high aim. If anyone still doubts a video game can be art, perhaps their definition of art is at fault. * The Wire *The most compelling aspects of Schartmann’s book involve the widening circumference of Kondo’s imagination, the possibilities he saw in this new world of electronic composition. The move to home consoles had freed video gaming from the initial, “hailing” approach to sound…It’s Schartmann’s sense of conviction, the hyperbole that occasionally frames his dive into composition and structure, that gives the book its charm. -- Hua Shu * The New Yorker *Koji Kondo’s Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack gave me a greater appreciation of something that appears to be so simple on the surface. * Pure Geekery *Koji Kondo's Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack comes in at 120 pages, not counting the notes and preface, which appears well on par with other books in the 33 1/3 series. It's a book that takes itself seriously, as it should, and soundly proves the case that video game composition is worthy of discussion among keepers of music as a craft. If you have an appreciation for game music, this is worth buying. Even if you don't get a few parts, they're only likely to make you admire the work and design that go into composing all the more. -- Tim Latshaw * NintendoLife *Andrew Schartmann does both the spirit of the series and video game history proud with his investigation into the iconic music from Koji Kondo. Matching a fanboy’s sensibilities with serious scholarship, Schartmann provides the reader with an engaging discussion of Kondo’s themes and ideas, both in terms of stylistic flair and compositional acumen … Of equal importance are his excellent research skills, as he collects worthwhile source material and pairs them [with] compelling quotes from Kondo and other luminaries at Nintendo to make his case for this soundtrack’s inclusion in the 33-1/3 series. The result is a superb blend of professional musicology and video game nerdery. * Dryvetyme.tumblr.com *Andrew Schartmann’s extensive, thoughtful treatise on Japanese composer Koji Kondo and his work on the soundtrack to the original Super Mario Bros game is probably the most unusual entry in the 33 1/3 music chapbook series … As Schartmann demonstrates, Kondo’s work on this seminal game – and the legacy of industry influence that followed – is much more than the primitive bleeps and bloops we all remember … -- Justin Cummings * Critics at Large *There’s something ballsy about including a videogame soundtrack in the 33 1/3 series since it’s not a traditional album per se, though Andrew Schartmann makes a compelling case for Koji Kondo’s score for Super Mario Bros. -- Hubert Vigilla * Ruby Hornet *Excerpted * VICE *Featured in "The Genius of the Super Mario Bros. 'Game Over' Theme" * Slate *Schartmann argues Super Mario Bros. composer Kondo transcended the medium of composition to break free from its restrictions, creating something new to be examined and improved upon … Super Mario Bros. has an enduring sonic legacy. Music is, after all, one of the great social connectors, and the infectiousness of Super Mario Bros.’ iconic main theme is ignorant of geography’s constraints. -- Josh O’Kane * The Globe and Mail *Table of ContentsForward Preface Acknowledgements INTRODUCTION CONTEXTS 1-1 An Unlikely Hero is Born 1-2 Mario Grows Up 1-3 Kondo’s Compositional Philosophy 1-4 Kondo’s Instruments MUSIC 2-1 Overworlds and Underworlds 2-2 The “Underwater” Waltz 2-3 Bowser’s “Castle” Theme & Other Endings 2-4 Sound Effects CONCLUSION Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHe came from Outer Space...It was the greatest invention in the history of pop music – the rock god who came from the stars – which struck a young David Bowie like a lightning bolt from the heavens.Trade ReviewDazzlingly pulls together all the vibrant strands that made up the star-spun cloth of Ziggy. Goddard is the aficionado. -- Gary KempDoes for David Bowie what Greil Marcus's Lipstick Traces did for the Sex Pistols... Big, bold and refreshingly original... It's Ziggy as experienced from the alien inside * MOJO Magazine **** *A tremendous account * Q Magazine **** *If you’ve been enjoying David Bowie’s comeback, you’ll relish Simon Goddard’s offbeat paean of man-love to his earlier incarnation. Goddard offers a thrillingly unusual slant on how Ziggy Stardust…came into being * The Observer *A great deal of research has gone into Ziggyology… Ziggy becomes a forcefield of fabulation, an imaginative cartography through and to whom all manner of ley lines pass…ingeniously and entertainingly (rendered) * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisIn his first book, front man of Slipknot and Stone Sour, Corey Taylor took on the Seven Deadly Sins, pulling them apart to reveal all that is irrelevant and wrong about the vices in the modern world through his own uniquely hilarious yet ferocious style. But in Corey''s eyes that''s not all that is wrong with the world today...From bad music, fame and infomercials to raising kids, sex and airport security, You''re Making Me Hate You is the result of a one-man mission to demonstrate the alarming rise in worldwide idiocy, buffoonery and out-and-out disregard for intelligent thought.Rant-filled but eloquent, shocking but intelligent, this is bestselling author Corey Taylor at his most Corey Taylor and he doesn''t leave himself out either... turns out he''s just as f***ing stupid as the rest of us, too.

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Book SynopsisJimmy McDonough is a journalist who has contributed to such publications as Variety, Film Comment, Mojo, Spin and Juggs. But he is perhaps best know for his intense, definitive Village Voice profiles of such artists as Jimmy Scott, Neil Young and Hubert Selby, Jr. He is also the author of The Ghastly One: The Sex-Gore Netherworld of Filmmaker Andy Milligan. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.Trade ReviewThe raw materials of the story are sensational: burning ambition, clashing egos, onstage epileptic seizures, deranged groupies, great albums, the birth and death of Sixties idealism, and, most of all, extremes of substance abuse * Scotland on Sunday *Succeeds in stripping a star of his iconography - McDonough's book excels at anecdotes of music excess from a bygone era * Observer *It's hard to imagine anyone trying to better this book - It has an abundance of what Young values above all else - passion * Evening Standard *I've been reading this biography of Neil Young called Shakey and it's changed my life, man -- Liam Gallagher * NME *

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Book SynopsisThe genius behind such classic songs as Suzanne, So Long, Marianne, and Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen has been one of the most influential songwriters of our time, a man of spirituality, emotion, and intelligence whose work has explored issues of human life - sex, religion, power, meaning, love. This book explores various facets of Cohen's life.Trade ReviewCohen gets the music biography he truly deserves * Mojo *Simmons’ clear affection for her subject helps to illuminate Cohen’s motivations and working methods and gives an intriguing insight into his singular mind * Sunday Times *The year’s most meticulous, elegant and satisfying rock book * Independent *Simmons loves language, hates cliché and takes her time... [she] recreates long-gone incidents with such vigour that you’d swear Simmons was there at the time, sitting in the corner and taking notes * Guardian *A well-rounded portrait of the poet-singer…his dry wit finds an echo in Simmons’s phrase-making * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisThis collection of in-depth analytical essays celebrates music by female composers from the twelfth to nineteenth centuries. The essays, written by leading music theorists and musicologists, examine select compositions in detail, collectively establishing a foundation for new scholarly research into outstanding compositions created by women.Trade ReviewThe many compelling analyses offered by this volume have the potential to inform and enrich analytical thinking beyond as well as within the community of scholars, students and musicians with special interests in women composers, and thereby not only to join but also to transform the mainstream * Susan Wollenberg, Revue de musicologie *This book has much to offer, showcasing, as it does, relatively unknown repertoire and employing a variety of analytical approaches... This diversity is also a strength, with music spanning almost 700 years carefully analyzed through a wide range of methods. I highly recommend it. * Roxane Prevost, University of Ottawa, CAML Review *In this beautifully produced volume...The essays, well-documented in the endnotes, are illustrated with a wealth of musical examples, tables, and figures...Significantly, this volume offers college and university instructors an engaging body of music analysis, scholarly writing, and writings in music theory to share with their students. Deborah Hayes, College of Music at the University of Colorado Boulder. * Deborah Hayes, College of Music at the University of Colorado Boulder, Journal of the International Alliance for Women in Music *

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Book SynopsisBeethoven's Ninth Symphony has held musical audiences captive for close to two centuries. Honing in on the significance of the symphony in contemporary culture, this book establishes a dialog between Beethoven's world and ours. In particular, it outlines what is special about the Ninth in millennial culture, where music is encoded not only as score but also as digital technology.Trade Review"Beethoven meets media theory in Alexander Rehding's wonderful and expansive account of Symphony No. 9. Taking the symphony's monumental challenges into the 21st century, Rehding offers a novel interpretation based on its recent performance and adaptation history, troubling our most fundamental understandings of music, communication and time in the process. A delightful and surprising read."-Jonathan Sterne, McGill University, author of MP3: The Meaning of a FormatTable of ContentsContents Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Beethoven's Ninth for a New Millennium Chapter 2: Marking History Chapter 3: Marking Hearing Chapter 4: Marking Time Chapter 5: Marking Form Chapter 6: Marking Noise Select Bibliography

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis is one of the most important resources on late classical European music to have emerged in recent years. * M. Dineen, CHOICE Connect, Vol. 59 No. 8 *Table of ContentsPreface Abbreviations Introduction: Music in the Twilight of the Habsburg Empire Chapter 1. Two Viennese Families: The Bergs and Nahowskis Berg's Early Life The Specter of Ill Health The Marie Scheuchl Affair The Nahowski Family Helene Nahowski and Paul Kammerer Berg's Courtship of Helene Nahowski Chapter 2. Berg's Musical Apprenticeship, 1899-1911 Studies with Schoenberg Berg's Early Songs Seven Early Songs (1907) Four Songs, Op. 2 Music for Piano Piano Sonata, Op. 1 String Quartet, Op. 3 Chapter 3. A Struggle for Recognition, 1911-15 Before the War Berg's Work for Schoenberg The Scandal Concert Berg as Writer Five Orchestral Songs to Picture Postcard Texts by Peter Altenberg, Op. 4 Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 5 Three Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6 Chapter 4. The War and Its Aftermath, 1915-22 Patriotic Enthusiasm Berg's Conscription Superstition and Pseudo-Science Postwar Burdens A Change of Profession Chapter 5. Wozzeck Operatic Plans and Uncertainties From Play to Libretto A Wozzeck Chronology The Music of "Wozzeck" "Wozzeck" on Stage Chapter 6. International Acclaim, 1923-5 Wozzeck Triumphant The Continuing Quest for Health New Directions in Post-War Music: Neoclassicism and Dodecaphony Chamber Concerto Chapter 7. Secret Programs with Twelve Tones, 1925-7 The Hanna Fuchs Affair A Return to Composing Lyric Suite for String Quartet Chapter 8. The Celebrated Composer, 1928-34 Summer Retreats and Family Entanglements Flight from Reality Berg's Music and the Nazi Threat A Musical Digression: Der Wein Chapter 9. Lulu The Search for Lulu Wedekind's Lulu Plays Berg's Libretto for Lulu A Chronology of Composition The Music of Lulu Prospects for Staging Symphonic Pieces from the Opera "Lulu" Chapter 10. Berg's Final Year, 1935 Berg's Financial Crisis Political Turmoil and Austrofascism The Violin Concerto Berg's Final Illness Chapter 11. Helene Berg and the Management of Berg's Legacy, 1936-76 The Completion of Lulu Bereavement, Grief, and Helene Berg's "Eternal Marriage" Helene Berg's Life Under the Nazis, 1938-45 Berg's Musical Manuscripts and Letters Toward a Berg Biography The Alban Berg Foundation Helene Berg's Last Years Epilogue: Berg the Outsider Appendix Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisComposer, pianist, teacher, and social-justice activist Margaret Bonds fought against racism, sexism, and economic injustice throughout her career, amassing a portfolio of social-justice compositions unrivalled in eloquence and originality which challenged longstanding barriers between Black and White, male and female, popular and classical. During her lifetime the political economy of music publishing consigned most of her music to manuscript dissemination, and since her death -- despite the enduring popularity of works such as He''s Got the Whole World in His Hand and The Ballad of the Brown King -- her success in transcending the barriers she faced as an African American and a woman has been obscured by the forces of racism and sexism in concert life, which, together with White- and male-dominated music historiography, have viewed her life and work through the lens of specious, racist, and sexist tropes. This book draws on an unprecedented mass of archival evidence to set aside those tropes and offer a fresh portrait of Margaret Bonds. Examining her published and unpublished music, it shows how the child prodigy rose to become the first African American woman whose music was performed widely in Africa; one of the first African American women whose music was broadcast on European radio; the first African American woman and pianist to perform with a major U.S. orchestra; the second African American woman in classical music to attain full membership in ASCAP; the first woman Black or White to win not one or two, but three, awards from that predominantly White and male organization; the lasting musical voice of Langston Hughes; and the teacher of other notables including Ned Rorem and Cheryl Wall. It thus shows how the confluence of natural genius, matrilineal and racial pride, faith, and support from the community of African American artists, intellectuals, and institutions enabled Margaret Bonds to become one of the most extraordinary figures in all of twentieth-century music. In response to the increasing globalization of music, the Composers across Cultures series, formerly the Master Musicians series, seeks to explore the inexhaustible diversity of music, and its common links to our shared humanity.

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