Composers and songwriters Books
WW Norton & Co George Frideric Handel
Book SynopsisAn intimate portrait of Handel's life and inner circle, modelled after one of the composer's favourite forms: the fugue.Trade Review"...a sequence of thematic chapters, each with its own timeline, charting the composer's career through others' eyes and ears, evoking more vividly than most the society in which Handel moved." -- Hugh Canning, Sound Choices 2014 - The Sunday Times
£30.39
WW Norton & Co On My Way
Book SynopsisA revelatory history of the operatic masterpiece that both made and destroyed Rouben Mamoulian, its director and unsung hero.
£19.94
WW Norton & Co Beethoven
Book SynopsisBeethoven’s political ideals, inspired by the French Revolution and Napoleon, radiate through his ground-breaking compositions.Trade Review"Clubbe’s biography is a thorough account of Beethoven’s inspirations, collaborators, and his turbulent times. It frames his work with political events and makes a compelling argument for their impact on the man." -- New Statesman"A thoughtful cultural history that takes into account the times in which Beethoven lived and worked—and they were times of revolution." -- Tim Page - The Washington Post
£28.79
WW Norton & Co Artie Shaw King of the Clarinet
Book Synopsis"The two sides of Shaw…are at the center of…[this] compulsively readable biography." —Daniel Akst, Wall Street JournalTrade Review"Makes sense of a turbulent life that even Artie Shaw himself had given up on explaining." -- Ted Gioia - San Francisco Chronicle"Tom Nolan proves himself valiantly…It’s not simply the first-hand research, the careful investigation of the facts, the easy, approachable prose style…The portrait is thorough, providing a deep study of a man both complicated and coarse, creating beauty through his clarinet and creating turmoil through his actions." -- Michael Steinman - Jazz Lives"Compelling…scented with understanding and charm." -- Michael D. Langan - Buffalo News"A beautifully measured, unforgiving account…an exemplary work of jazz biography." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"Every great artist deserves a great biography, and Swing Era bandleader and clarinetist Artie Shaw finally has one.…Nolan has crafted a well-written, highly entertaining, and informative biography." -- Peter Thornell - Library Journal"Enthralling…[Artie Shaw] gives the satisfactions of a true rags-to-riches story…and plausibly accounts for Shaw’s huge character faults without obscuring his charm and prodigious talent." -- Ray Olson - Booklist"At last, the lively, continually imaginative life of the most creative clarinetist in jazz history." -- Nat Hentoff, author of At the Jazz Band Ball: Sixty Years at the Jazz Scene
£13.29
WW Norton & Co Changing Lives Gustavo Dudamel El Sistema and the
Book Synopsis“Reminds us of how arts education can change lives.” —Gary Stager, Huffington PostTrade Review"Essential reading for every one of us who cares passionately about our neediest children." -- Quincy Jones "Starred Review. This passionate and inspiring story should be read by all those interested in music education, community building, and advocacy for the disadvantaged. An essential purchase." "We are fortunate to have the story of El Sistema related so eloquently." -- Deborah Borda, president and CEO, Los Angeles Philharmonic "Tunstall soundly probes how it is that classical music has played such a powerful role in the protection, education, and elevation of so many children born into poverty. The author does a noble job tracing the history of El Sistema, while managing to keep the narrative as much in the immediate present as possible."
£12.34
WW Norton & Co Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock n Roll
Book SynopsisA vibrant biography of one of the greatest rock 'n' rollers, the America that made him, and the America he made.Trade Review"A riveting profile of New Jersey's great bard. Dolan, the ultimate Springsteen fan, has an encyclopedic knowledge of his subject. And his infectious love of American popular music is nothing short of awesome. The best book on Bruce ever written!" -- Douglas Brinkley, author of Cronkite "Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock 'n' Roll endeavors to get to the heart of its subject by viewing him through the economic, social, political, religious and family turmoil that formed a musician who found out early on how to make his guitar talk but spent painful decades refining what he needed to make it say. Springsteen's creative evolution and endurance as a populist American rock 'n' roll hero is, according to Dolan, "a slantwise way of telling the history of our times, how we have come together and divided over the last half-century, how we have changed what we think of ourselves as a people." -- Robin Finn "Those who are interested in the shaping of an American icon-and, more significantly, the creation of some lasting American music-may be directed safely to this book." -- Tim Page "The definitive Springsteen biography/musical analysis, finely written and meticulously researched... by an academic who can write for a popular audience... For fans, Dolan's book is a necessary addition to the Springsteen library. For more casual listeners, who often wonder just what the fuss is all about, this volume is a good place to start." -- Michael Riley "In an appreciative study that at times verges on the academic, Dolan traces Springsteen's journey through a song-by-song and album-by-album development..." "A unique biography of a great rock 'n roll artist drawn from 40 years of thrilling performances. If you're a Springsteen fan, this will deepen your appreciation. And if you're not a fan, what the hell is wrong with you?" -- William McKeen, author of Rock 'n Roll is Here to Stay: An Anthology "With the notable exception of Bob Dylan, no other singer-songwriter still active in the 21st Century has spawned as many academic studies as The Boss, and Dolan's book is among the very best. As a chronicler of our times, Springsteen has few equals... and the author's examination of an extraordinary body of work is as clear-headed and accessible as the music itself... By necessity, his book also serves as a history of America, outlining a nation's political conflicts, class disparity, prejudices and shortcomings... [T]he author is especially evocative in his descriptions of working class New Jersey in the 60s and early 70s. Where he scores his most emphatic bullseyes, however, is in his assessment of how Springsteen handled his wealth and stardom; of how his conscience and politics adapted to being one of the most famous men in the world without losing sight of the struggles of his core audience, the 'little' man on the street." -- Terry Staunton, record Collector "Readable and engrossing." "Marc Dolan has written a book of rock criticism at its finest. He brings to the story of Bruce Springsteen an encyclopedic knowledge, a clean, fast-moving prose style, and an irrepressible love of his subject. The Boss deserves no less, and he could ask for no better." -- John Matteson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Lives of Margaret Fuller "Dolan makes a point of telling more than just the Boss' personal history, putting his putting his musical contributions in context with the country's political state." "Readable and engrossing."
£13.29
WW Norton & Co Summertime
Book SynopsisThe life of a beloved American composer reflected through his music, writings and letters.Trade Review"The author offers many such evocative descriptions in his scholarly account of Gershwin’s tragically short life. The works are covered in exhaustive detail, with in-depth analysis, plots and character summaries…" -- The Economist"Summertime is a genial and enthusiastic book..." -- Times Literary Supplement
£16.14
WW Norton & Co The Lives of Isaac Stern
Book SynopsisA centennial inventory of the career and legacy of one of the twentieth century's greatest musicians, the first made-in-America violin virtuoso.
£19.94
WW Norton & Co Counterpoint
Book SynopsisAs his mother was dying, Philip Kennicott began to listen to the music of Bach obsessively. It was the only music that didn't seem trivial or irrelevant, and it enabled him to both experience her death and remove himself from it. For him, Bach's music held the elements of both joy and despair, life and its inevitable end. He spent the next five years trying to learn one of the composer's greatest keyboard masterpieces, the Goldberg Variations. In Counterpoint, he recounts his efforts to rise to the challenge, and to fight through his grief by coming to terms with his memories of a difficult, complicated childhood. He describes the joys of mastering some of the piano pieces, the frustrations that plague his understanding of others, the technical challenges they pose, and the surpassing beauty of the melodies, harmonies, and counterpoint that distinguish them. While exploring Bach's compositions he sketches a cultural history of playing the piano in the twentieth century. And he raises two questions that become increasingly interrelated, not unlike a contrapuntal passage in one of the variations itself: What does it mean to know a piece of music? What does it mean to know another human being?Trade Review"In short, this is a beautiful and unexpectedly uplifting read which will have you reaching for both Gould's Goldbergs and the Chaconne, and perhaps even looking at the world with renewed thoughtfulness." -- Charlotte Gardner - Gramophone
£19.94
LUP - University of Michigan Press Music Is My Life
Book SynopsisTrade Review...Daniel Stein's book is the first to examine Armstrong's autobiographical record carefully to see what it reveals about the man, his life, and his music. The result is a fascinating book that is likely to offer unexpected insights and information to even the best-read Armstrong researcher." — Robert Rawlins, Rowan University, Popular Music and Society"Meticulous citations and helpful appendixes enhance the strength of this important, though complex, work. Highly recommended." — T. E. Buehrer, Choice"The contributions of Stein’s book to the study of Louis Armstrong and his music are manifold. With a rare historical and contextual awareness, Stein illustrates the extent to which Armstrong’s autobiographical self-performances conflicted with and challenged appropriations of Armstrong by such jazz writers and critics as Horace Gerlach, Robert Goffin, Hugues Panassié, and Rudi Blesh, among others." — Mario Dunkel, Jazz Research News"It is really gratifying to find a study of a jazz performer that recognises so comprehensively the deeper historical and cultural framework of a music that has been so often deracinated or romanticised." — Bruce Johnson, Popular Music"Stein gives Armstrong's autobiographical performance a much more thorough, detailed analysis than has heretofore been attempted, and the resulting study shines a bright light not only on Armstrong the person but, more importantly, also on the identity of Louis Armstrong as an iconic public figure." — Ken Prouty, Fontes Artis Musicae
£36.05
LUP - University of Michigan Press The Beatles through a Glass Onion Reconsidering
Book SynopsisThe Beatles, the 1968 double LP more commonly known as the White Album, has always been viewed as an oddity in the group's oeuvre. Many have found it to be inconsistent, sprawling, and self-indulgent. The Beatles through a Glass Onion is the first-ever scholarly volume to explore this seminal recording at length.
£65.50
LUP - University of Michigan Press Lennie Tristano
Book SynopsisLennie Tristano occupies a rare position in jazz history. Emerging from an era when modernism was the guiding principle in jazz, Tristano explored musical avenues that were avant-garde even by modernism's experimental standards. This title sheds light on the important role Tristano played in the jazz world.Trade ReviewIn Lennie Tristano: His Life in Music, Shim has provided a comprehensive biographical and analytical account of one of jazz's most important and most frequently misun-derstood figures. Her insights into Tristano's personality are well nuanced, and the focus on his teaching makes a unique contribution to the history of jazz. This vividly written study is likely to become a standard work. - Brian Priestley, author of Chasin' The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Charlie Parker and co-author of The Rough Guide to Jazz
£40.95
The University of Michigan Press Beyond Notation
Book SynopsisEarle Brown (1926-2002) was a crucial part of the seminal group of experimental composers known as the New York School, and his work intersects in fascinating ways with that of his colleagues John Cage, Morton Feldman, and Christian Wolff. This book seeks to expand our view of Brown's work, addressing his practices as a painter and composer as well as his collaborations with visual artists.Trade ReviewOne of the best [multi-authored books] I’ve seen. . . . It makes a huge contribution. Earle Brown has long been neglected, and it’s nice to see his work receiving the attention it deserves."" - Amy Beal, University of California-Santa Cruz
£69.30
University of California Press A Heart at Fires Center The Life and Music of
Book SynopsisNo composer contributed more to film than Bernard Herrmann, who in over 40 scores enriched the work of such directors as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Francois Truffaut, and Martin Scorsese. This biography explores the interrelationships between Herrmann's music and his turbulent personal life.
£45.05
University of California Press The Listening Composer Paper
Book SynopsisTaking us into a composer's workshop, this title reevaluates what we call 'twentieth-century music' - a term used to refer to modern or contemporary music that represents a radical break from the tonal tradition, or 'common practice', of the preceding three centuries.
£24.30
University of California Press Gioia T West Coast Jazz
Book SynopsisHow could it when the same critics asking the question could hardly agree on a definition of jazz itself? Was West Coast jazz the last regional style or merely a marketing fad? Was there really ever any such thing as West Coast jazz? If so, was it better or worse than East Coast jazz? This title deals with this queries.Table of ContentsONE Central Avenue Breakdown TWO The Bird in the Basket THREE The Chase FOUR Dave Brubeck and Modern Jazz in San Francisco FIVE The San Francisco Scene in the 195os SIX Central Avenue Survivors SEVEN Big Bands out West EIGHT City of Glass NINE Chet Baker and the Pianoless Quartet TEN From the Lighthouse ELEVEN A Ring-tail Monkey TWELVE Martians Go Home THIRTEEN The Anti-drummer FOURTEEN Straight Life FIFTEEN LA Hard Bop SIXTEEN Something Else! SEVENTEEN West Coast Jazz: Final Considerations POSTSCRIPT: A Stroll Through California Jazz Nightspots APPENDIX: Fifty Representative West Coast Jazz Recordings 1945-1960 Notes Index
£24.30
University of California Press You Are Not I
Book SynopsisA biography of Paul Bowles, the famously enigmatic writer-composer. It questions the biographer's role, the subject's credibility, and the very nature of 'truth' in the telling of a life. It talks of Bowles' difficult childhood and of his grief over his wife's - the author Jane Bowles, who died in 1973 - illness, of exile, dreams, and madness.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part One Part Two Part Three Afterimages Works Cited
£22.50
University of California Press Late Beethoven
Book SynopsisTraces Beethoven's attraction to a constellation of heterogeneous ideas, drawn from Romanticism, Freemasonry, comparative religion, Eastern initiatory ritual, Mediterranean mythology, aesthetics, and classical and contemporary thought.Trade Review"[F]or sheer interpretive genius and an uncommon gift for rendering in prose the complex, humanly compelling subtleties of Beethoven's music and life, few approach Maynard Solomon.... [E]very chapter in Solomon's book is full of subtle, deeply satisfying accounts of what actually went into Beethoven's late-style works." - Edward Said; "With a bow to the immortal study by J. W. N. Sullivan, Late Beethoven could have also been called 'Beethoven: His Spiritual Development.' Solomon weaves amazingly diverse threads, chapter by chapter, into the fabric of Beethoven's belief system, his take on nature, divinity, human purpose, morality, and the mission of music. This is a book of surprises by an author whose combination of breadth of thought, imaginativeness, aesthetic sensitivity, and learning is really wonderful." - Joseph Kerman, author, with Alan Tyson, of The New Grove Beethoven "Maynard Solomon writes with an unrivaled control of a vast cultural and intellectual sweep that reaches beyond Ancient Greece, and with a graceful precision that disguises the rich complexity of his ideas. Distilling from the late works their sources in both the overarching themes of mankind and the troubled psyche of the composer, he has forever altered a familiar landscape." - Richard Kramer, author of Distant Cycles"Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Prologue: A Sea Change 1. The End of a Beginning: The "Diabelli" Variations 2. Beyond Classicism 3. Some Romantic Images 4. Pastoral, Rhetoric, Structure: The Violin Sonata in G, Op. 96 5. Reason and Imagination: The Aesthetic Dimension 6. The Seventh Symphony and the Rhythms of Antiquity 7. The Masonic Thread 8. The Masonic Imagination 9. The Shape of a Journey: The "Diabelli" Variations 10. Intimations of the Sacred 11. The Sense of an Ending: The Ninth Symphony 12. The Healing Power of Music Abbreviations Notes Index
£999.99
University of California Press Understanding the Women of Mozarts Operas
Book SynopsisExplores the female roles in Mozart's four most frequently performed operas, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte, and Die Zauberflote. Each chapter looks at the music, libretto text, literary sources, and historical factors that give shape to a character, re-evaluating common assumptions and proposing fresh interpretations.Trade Review“An interesting, unique, well-written study.” * CHOICE *“Brown-Montesano has set out to write something that will be of value to directors and singers in search of a character and general opera lovers who simply want to understand more about Mozart. This lively, perceptive study succeeds brilliantly on all counts.” * Classical Music Magazine *Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgments Overture Act One: (Anti-)Heroines and Women on the Edge 1. Feminine Vengeance I: The Assailed/Assailant Donna Anna 2. Sisterhood and Seduction I: Abandonment and Rescue Donna Elvira 3. Class Survival Zerlina 4. Feminine Vengeance II: (Over)Powered Politics The Queen of the Night 5. Good Daughter, Good Wife Pamina 6. Woman's Identity I: Sacred and Profane The Three Ladies and Papagena Act Two: Sisterly Alliances and Sisters Subverted 7. Sisterhood and Seduction II: Friendship and Class Countess Almaviva and Susanna 8. Woman's Identity II: Loss and Legitimacy Marcellina and Barbarina 9. Sisterhood and Seduction III: Intimacy and Influence Fiordiligi and Dorabella 10. Survival Class Despina Notes Works Cited Index
£56.80
University of California Press Wagner Beyond Good and Evil
Book SynopsisPresents a different view of Richard Wagner based on research that does not shy away from some truths about this controversial composer. This book tells what Wagner did, said, and wrote. It suggests that an estimation of Wagner does not lie in an all too easy condemnation of his many provocative actions and ideas.Trade Review"Essential reading for all who take an intelligent, informed interest in Wagner." Wagner Journal "Engaging." Australian Book Rev "A solid and stimulating read." -- George Hall Opera "Wide-ranging and eclectic, this volume presents the latest Wagner scholarship and criticism." -- S. Edwards Choice "An engaging portrait" Music Educators JournalTable of ContentsPreface part i. a few beginnings 1. Wagner Lives Issues in Autobiography 2. "Pale" Senta Female Sacrifice and the Desire for Heimat 3. Wagner the Progressive Another Look at Lohengrin part ii. der ring des nibelungen 4. Fairy Tale, Revolution, Prophecy Preliminary Evening: Das Rheingold 5. Symphonic Mastery or Moral Anarchy? First Day: Die Walkure 6. Siegfried Hero Second Day: Siegfried 7. Finishing the End Third Day: Gotterdammerung part iii. the elusiveness of tragedy 8. Don Carlos and Gotterdammerung Two Operatic Endings and Walter Benjamin's Trauerspiel 9. Wagner's Greeks, and Wieland's Too Contents part iv. tristan und isolde 10. Dangerous Fascinations 11. Public and Private Life Reflections on the Genesis of Tristan and Isolde and the Wesendonck Lieder 12. Postmortem on Isolde part v. mature polemics 13. Strange Love, Or, How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Parsifal 14. Mendelssohn and the Strange Case of the (Lost) Symphony in C 15. Unfinished Symphonies part vi. Operatic Futures 16. Configurations of the New 17. Wagner and Beyond List of Abbreviations Notes Acknowledgments Index
£42.50
University of California Press Leonard Bernstein
Book SynopsisFrom his dazzling conducting debut in 1943 until his death in 1990, Leonard Bernstein's star blazed brilliantly. This biography examines Bernstein's career against the backdrop of cold war America - blacklisting by the State Department in 1950 and voluntary exile from the New York Philharmonic in 1951 for fear that he might be blacklisted.Trade Review"Almost two decades after Bernstein's death, this is the first in-depth look at the man with his politics. It was worth the wait." -- Carol Iaciofano Boston Globe Book Section "The book's greatest value ... lies not simply in shedding new and more nuanced light on the story of 'Our Lenny', but in its consistent demonstration-in accordance with Bernstein's own ideas-that any attempt to separate the musical sphere from the moral and political comes at an unconscionably high price." The Economist "A rich, thoroughly researched and immensely readable study." -- Stephen Brown Times Literary Supplement (TLS) "A major contribution." -- William R. Braun Opera News "A useful, revealing, and genuinely fascinating discussion of Leonard Bernstein's role in the melee of 20th-century American Politics." -- Eric A. Gordon Jewish Currents: A Progressive Monthly "[Bernstein's] legacy is one of struggle and engagement that will serve as an example for others who are sure to follow him. Seldes' work is a valuable contribution to understanding that legacy." -- Fred Mazelis World Socialist Web Site "In this insightful and creative study, Barry Seldes, a political scientist with a deep understanding of musicology, grapples with this powerful public artist by examining the lifelong interactions of his art with his politics." -- Michael Fellman Vancouver Sun "Compelling... Immaculately researched and extensively annotated... This is a really important book." Musical Opinion "A remarkable new book." -- Raphael Mostel Forward "The most enlightening portrait yet of the often romanticised American conductor and composer." -- Philip Clark The Wire "Seldes is insightful." -- Eric A. Gordon Today in HistoryTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Young American: Bernstein at Harvard 2. The Forties: Ascent and Blacklist 3. American Biedermeier 4. The Long Sixties 5. Norton Lectures 6. Bernstein at Sea 7. Understanding Bernstein Epilogue: A Man in Dark Times Notes Index
£34.00
University of California Press Brass Diva
Book SynopsisBroadway star Ethel Merman's voice was a mesmerizing force and her vitality was legendary. This detailed biography tells the story of how the stenographer from Queens, New York, became the queen of the Broadway musical in its golden age.Trade Review"This well-written and psychologically astute portrait will satisfy musical theater fans and anyone who loves a snappy comeback." The Advocate "Masterfully analyzes Merman's work on stage, screen and TV with a sophisticated eye for detail that will delight theater buffs." Publishers WeeklyTable of Contentspreface vii 1 / Beginnings 1 2 / From Stenographer to Star 30 3 / The Early Thirties 67 4 / To Hollywood and Back Again 90 5 / Broadway's Brightest: The Early Forties 113 6 / Forging a Family 138 7 / What Comes Natur'lly: Annie Get Your Gun 150 8 / Call Me Madam 177 9 / A More Complex Image 192 10 / Madam in Hollywood 218 11 / Life with Six 239 12 / There's No Business Like Show Business 255 13 / From Mrs. Six to Mama Rose 278 14 / Gypsy: Ethel Merman's Musical Fable 293 15 / It's a Mad, Mad Schedule 333 16 / The Sixties and the Art of Love 347 17 / After the Big Stem--the Seventies 374 18 / Twilight and Transformation 401 19 / Afterlife 415 acknowledgments 429 a word on the scrapbooks 433 discography 437 stage work 443 filmography 463 notes 473 index 000
£27.00
University of California Press Clark The Autobiography of Clark Terry
Book SynopsisTells the story of Clark Terry, one of the most recorded and beloved jazz trumpeters. This title takes us from his impoverished childhood in St Louis, Missouri, where jazz could be heard everywhere, to the smoke-filled small clubs and carnivals across the Jim Crow South where he got his start, and on to worldwide acclaim.Trade Review"'Clark' chronicles, in endearing prose, Terry's personal and professional journey... Onstage and in the backroom, Terry and his trumpet shared a front-row seat to jazz history. "Clark" is nothing short of that remarkable story." -- Alexander Heffner San Francisco Chronicle "Terry's wonderful book is a true labor of love." -- Peter Vacher Jazzwise "Informative, detailed, intimate, and throughly absorbing, "Clark" is very strongly recommended." The Midwest Book ReviewTable of ContentsPreface by Quincy Jones Foreword by Bill Cosby Introduction by David Demsey 1. Big Dreams 2. First Instruments 3. Kicked Out 4. The Vashon High Swingsters 5. First Road Gig 6. Nigga 7. Ida Cox 8. Stranded 9. Lincoln Inn 10. On the Road Again 11. Tennis Shoe Pimp 12. Jailed 13. Len Bowden 14. Navy Days 15. Gray Clouds 16. The Big Apple 17. George Hudson 18. The Club Plantation 19. Galloping Dominoes 20. Tempting Offers 21. Lionel Hampton 22. Road Lessons 23. Pauline 24. Charlie Barnet 25. Count Basie 26. Big Debt 27. Duke Ellington 28. Leaving Basie 29. The University of Ellingtonia 30. Working with Duke 31. Duke's Team 32. Duke's Management Arts 33. Miles and Bird 34. Billy Strayhorn 35. Endurances 36. Flugelhorn 37. Europe 38. Norman Granz 39. Norman's Battles 40. Q 41. NBC 42. Jim and Andy's 43. Johnny and Ed 44. Mumbles 45. First House 46. Big Bad Band 47. Carnegie Hall 48. Etoile 49. Jazz Education Arena 50. Those NBC Years 51. Storms 52. Black Clouds 53. Keep on Keepin' On 54. New Love 55. Whirlwinds 56. Through the Storm 57. Second Chance 58. The Biggest Surprise Acknowledgments Honors and Awards Original Compositions Selected Discography Index Photographs follow page 186
£32.30
University of California Press Weills Musical Theater
Book SynopsisPresents the study of Kurt Weill's complete stage works. This title shows how Weill's experiments with a range of genres - from one-act operas and plays with music to Broadway musicals and film-opera - became an indispensable part of the reforms he promoted during his brief but intense career.Trade Review"Eminently readable, with or without his music playing in the background. Professor Hinton is a fine writer who conveys what he knows and feels in terms insightful, intuitive and nuanced, yet accessible to those of us who are musically marginalized." Washington Ind Rev Of Bks "An in-depth view of the entire oeuvre of Weill's stage compositions... A scholarly and thoroughly researched work... Highly Recommended." -- E. C. Skiles, Lone Star College-Kingwood Choice "This is essential reading not only for Weill scholars but also those interested in twentieth-century opera and the history of the American musical... Its achievement will not soon be surpassed." Journal of the American Musicological Society "A majestic study." Journal of the Society for American MusicTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface and Acknowledgments 1. Biographical Notes 2. The Busoni Connection 3. One-Act Operas 4. "Songspiel" 5. Plays with Music 6. Epic Opera 7. Didactic Theater ("Lehrstuck") 8. Stages of Exile 9. Musical Plays 10. Stage vs. Screen 11. American Opera 12. Concept and Commitment Coda Appendix: Weill's Works for Stage or Screen Abbreviations Notes Credits Index
£38.25
University of California Press Sophisticated Giant
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Maxine Gordon astutely frames the fiery daring of Dexter Gordon’s generation of bebop innovators in the context of rising black consciousness and creative agency in midcentury America…“Sophisticated Giant” is a work of considerable sophistication, the first-person testimony of its subject employed with affectionate discipline, smartly contextualized and augmented by material from interviews Maxine Gordon conducted with the tenor saxophone masters Sonny Rollins and Jimmy Heath, the record producers Bruce Lundvall and Michael Cucsuna, and others." -- David Hajdu, * The New York Times *“Dexter Gordon’s deep tone, relaxed delivery—even the frequent witty musical quotations—seemed like extensions of his gravely playful speaking voice. That voice carries over on the page too. You can hear it when you read his written testimony and extracts from letters included in Maxine Gordon’s illuminating biography.” -- Kevin Whitehead, * NPR's Fresh Air *“‘Affectionate, enjoyable and informative, painting a portrait of a handsome, elegant, easygoing person and artist who refused to agonize about his past.” * Wall Street Journal *“A particularly intimate look at . . . career highs in this wonderful biography of the iconic jazzman. . . . Most striking for this reader was how, through her intimate, first-hand knowledge of her husband’s life, Maxine was able to convey how the art of jazz was far more than a career path for Dexter and his colleagues. “ * The Austin Chronicle *"Gordon’s life has previously been chronicled, but not with so much of his own achingly personal, brutally honest voice. Sophisticated Giant is not a critical analysis of his music; instead, Maxine has interwoven Dexter’s own letters and poetry with a broad spectrum of anecdotal accounts, plus her own meticulous scholarship and adoring reflections, to craft a vivid life story. . . . This is a must-read for jazz fans." * Jazz Times *“A work that’s both scrupulously researched history and intimate memoir.” * MOJO *“An intimate, keenly-rendered new biography that will interest jazz enthusiasts and anyone with an interest in American popular culture. . . . It’s a warm, subjective story that trains an astute lens on the social and political circumstances that helped shape a career; and for that, it stand outs as a landmark contribution to the literature of the jazz.” * Seattle Times *"Throughout the book, Maxine provides rich descriptions of people, places, and events, often quoting from Dexter. Through her meticulous research, new information about him emerges. . . While meticulous about details, the author is also a good storyteller, so, aside from its scholarly discipline, the book is intriguing and leads the reader forward like an absorbing detective novel." * All About Jazz *"Blending forensic research with scholarly insight, Sophisticated Giant’s compelling story unfurls like one of Gordon’s sinuous sax solos. Essential reading for jazz fans." * Record Collector *“Dexter Gordon left us almost three decades ago, but his presence in 2018 has virtually brought him back to center stage." * All About Jazz *“When I say that this is essential reading for anyone interested in modern jazz from the late thirties on, you'd better believe it!. . . . Tell your own true love that, this year, you don't want any more partridges in a pear tree, lords a-leaping or even five golden rings. No, what you want for Christmas this year is (apart from him/her) a Sophisticated Giant.” * bebop spoken here *“Easy-to-read, well-written, superbly documented, much-anticipated. . . . One unique thing about the book is that it makes you feel like you are there with her listening to her talk, about her time in the jazz world with some of the best musicians on earth. But just when you get used to her writing like an excited jazz fan, she easily switches to a keen researcher and a solid scholar.” * Jazz Corner *"Exceptional. . . . Maxine Gordon believes that 'the story of Dexter's life is nothing less than a cultural history of creative Black Americans in the interwar and postwar years.' In Sophisticated Giant, she's written a book that reflects this important truth." * New York City Jazz Record *“Sophisticated Giant paints a convincing picture of an extremely charming, intelligent, resilient, and talented man." * Arts Fuse *“[Gordon] displays firsthand knowledge of the political economy of jazz playing and the discrimination and grievances musicians endured...her honesty and passion bleed into her prose to create a lively and valuable look at the jazz giant and his world. Verdict: For jazz lovers first but enjoyable for general readers, too.” * Library Journal *“This is a story that had to be told.” * KUVO/KVJZ *“An informative, well-paced, suite like literary work that chronicles the saxophonist’s family, influences, inspirations, zeniths, and nadirs, and documents his legacy as one of the most influential saxophonists in jazz history.” -- Eugene Holley Jr., * Publishers Weekly *“Maxine’s book shows us not only the world Dexter Gordon lived and breathed, but many other musicians we know, don’t know and should know. We see the reality of the Jazz world, the unthinkable hardships and struggles brought together through the common love of music. The book is incredible. Maxine Gordon is incredible. Her passion to share, explore and discuss the reality of the Jazz world is a true inspiration." * Jazz in Europe *“There’s a major new biography out of saxophonist Dexter Gordon, and it’s worth checking out.” * Stereogum *“Offers a rare vantage point into the life of one of jazz’s most cherished figures.” * Jazziz *“Maxine Gordon's recently released book ‘Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Times of Dexter Gordon’ is no ordinary jazz biography. It is a book that transports you into the reality of a Jazz musicians’ life, the highs and lows, the hardships and the inexplicable power of Jazz – beautifully written by an author whose passion for ensuring Dexter’s story is told honestly, is inspiring. Dexter Gordon was indeed a ‘Sophisticated Giant’ but when you read the book, you can’t help but feel there are actually two sophisticated giants here.” * The Jazz Room @ Style Quarterly Magazine *Table of Contents1. The Saga of Society Red 2. An Uncommon Family 3. Education of an Eastside Altar Boy 4. Leaving Home 5. Pops 6. Blowin’ the Blues Away 7. Business Lessons 8. Mischievous Lady 9. Central Avenue Bop 10. Trapped 11. Resurgence 12. New Life 13. Very Saxily Yours 14. Trouble in Paris 15. The Khalif of Valby 16. Homecoming 17. Bebop at Work 18. Round Midnight
£22.50
University of California Press Wagner Schumann and the Lessons of Beethovens
Book Synopsisexamines the influence of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on two major nineteenth-century composers, Richard Wagner and Robert Schumann. During 1845 46 the compositional styles of Schumann and Wagner changed in a common direction, toward a style that was more contrapuntal, more densely motivic, and engaged in processes of thematic transformation.Trade Review"Wagner, Schumann, and the Lessons of Beethoven's Ninth is a fascinating new examination... It is as though a careful magnifying glass were held to past interactions between two very different composers..." -- Nancy Lorraine The Midwest Book Review "This is a multilayered book. It is on one level a formidable piece of forensic musical detective work displaying detailed critical understanding of the works in question through identification of influences and tracing of possible thematic cross-references across generic boundaries; on another it is a musically highly intelligent study of interactive compositional processes in the different but related guises of operatic and instrumental music." Music & LettersTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Wagner's Faustian Understanding of Beethoven's Ninth 2. The Impact of the Ninth on The Flying Dutchman 3. Wagner, Thematic Dispersion, and Contrary Motion 4. Schumann, Thematic Dispersion, and Contrary Motion 5. Late Schumann, Wagner, and Bach 6. Brahms's Triple Response to the Ninth 7. Wagner and Schumann Appendix 1: Citations of Wagner's Possible Allusions and Influences in The Flying Dutchman Appendix 2: Contrary Motion Counterpoint in the First Movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony Appendix 3: Contrary Motion Counterpoint in The Flying Dutchman Appendix 4: Contrary Motion Counterpoint in the Fourth Movement of Schumann's Second Symphony Appendix 5: Contrary Motion Counterpoint in the First Movement of Brahms's First Symphony Abbreviations Notes Works Cited Index
£46.75
University of California Press Clark The Autobiography of Clark Terry
Book SynopsisTakes you behind the scenes of jazz history and introduces scores of legendary greats -Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Dinah Washington, Doc Severinsen, Ray Charles, Thelonious Monk, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Coleman Hawkins, Zoot Sims, and Dianne Reeves, among many others.Trade Review"'Clark' chronicles, in endearing prose, Terry's personal and professional journey... Onstage and in the backroom, Terry and his trumpet shared a front-row seat to jazz history. "Clark" is nothing short of that remarkable story." -- Alexander Heffner San Francisco Chronicle "Terry's wonderful book is a true labor of love." -- Peter Vacher Jazzwise "Informative, detailed, intimate, and throughly absorbing, "Clark" is very strongly recommended." The Midwest Book ReviewTable of ContentsPreface by Quincy Jones Foreword by Bill Cosby Introduction by David Demsey 1. Big Dreams 2. First Instruments 3. Kicked Out 4. The Vashon High Swingsters 5. First Road Gig 6. Nigga 7. Ida Cox 8. Stranded 9. Lincoln Inn 10. On the Road Again 11. Tennis Shoe Pimp 12. Jailed 13. Len Bowden 14. Navy Days 15. Gray Clouds 16. The Big Apple 17. George Hudson 18. The Club Plantation 19. Galloping Dominoes 20. Tempting Offers 21. Lionel Hampton 22. Road Lessons 23. Pauline 24. Charlie Barnet 25. Count Basie 26. Big Debt 27. Duke Ellington 28. Leaving Basie 29. The University of Ellingtonia 30. Working with Duke 31. Duke's Team 32. Duke's Management Arts 33. Miles and Bird 34. Billy Strayhorn 35. Endurances 36. Flugelhorn 37. Europe 38. Norman Granz 39. Norman's Battles 40. Q 41. NBC 42. Jim and Andy's 43. Johnny and Ed 44. Mumbles 45. First House 46. Big Bad Band 47. Carnegie Hall 48. Etoile 49. Jazz Education Arena 50. Those NBC Years 51. Storms 52. Black Clouds 53. Keep on Keepin' On 54. New Love 55. Whirlwinds 56. Through the Storm 57. Second Chance 58. The Biggest Surprise Acknowledgments Honors and Awards Original Compositions Selected Discography Index Photographs follow page 186
£20.70
University of California Press Treatise on Musical Objects Essays Across
Book SynopsisThe "Treatise on Musical Objects" by Pierre Schaeffer is regarded as his most important work on music and its relationship with technology. Drawing on acoustics, physics, and physiology, but also philosophy and the relationship between subject and object, this book summarizes his theoretical and practical work in music composition.Trade Review"[Christine North and John Dack's] English translation is as effective as Schaeffer’s text, which in turn exercises its full correlative power to English readers to the extent that the translators have rendered it." * Association for Recorded Sound Collections Journal *Table of ContentsThe Treatise on Musical Objects and the GRM, by Daniel TeruggiTranslators’ Introduction, by Christine NorthPierre Schaeffer’s Treatise on Musical Objects and Music Theory, by John Dack Acknowledgments Preface Introductory Remarks: The Historical Situation of Music Book One. Making Music 1. The Instrumental Prerequisite 2. Playing an Instrument 3. Capturing Sounds 4. Acousmatics Book Two. Hearing 5. "What Can Be Heard" 6. The Four Listening Modes 7. Scientific Prejudice 8. The Hearing Intention Book Three. Correlations Between the Physical Signal and the Musical Object 9. Ambiguities in Musical Acoustics 10. Correlation between Spectra and Pitches 11. Threshold and Transients 12. Temporal Anamorphoses I: Timbres and Dynamics 13. Temporal Anamorphoses II: Timbre and Instrument 14. Time and Duration Book Four. Objects and Structures 15. Reduction to the Object 16. Perceptual Structures 17. Comparative Structures: Music and Language 18. The Conventional Musical System: Musicality and Sonority 19. Natural Sound Structures: Musicianly Listening 20. The Reduced Listening System: Musical Dualism 21. Musical Research Book Five. Morphology and Typology of Sound Objects 22. Morphology of Sound Objects 23. The Laboratory 24. Typology of Musical Objects (I): Classification Criteria 25. Typology of Musical Objects (II): Balanced and Redundant Objects 26. Typology of Musical Objects (III): Eccentric Sounds 27. Working at Our Instrument Book Six. Theory of Musical Objects 28. Musical Experience 29. Generalizing Music Theory 30. Theory of Homogenous Sounds: Criterion of Mass 31. Theory of Fixed Masses: Dynamic Criterion 32. Theory of Sustainment 33. Theory of Variations 34. Analysis of the Musical Object as It Generally Appears Book Seven. Music as a Discipline 35. Implementation 36. The Meaning of Music Penultimate Chapter: In the Search of Music Itself Postscript Index
£32.30
University of California Press Middlebrow Modernism
Book SynopsisA free ebook version of this title is available throughLuminos, University of California Press's Open Access publishing program. Visitwww.luminosoa.orgto learn more. Situated at the intersections of twentieth-century music history, historiography, and aesthetics,Middlebrow Modernismuses Benjamin Britten's operas to illustrate the ways in which composers, critics, and audiences mediated the great divide between modernism and mass culture. Reviving mid-century discussions of the middlebrow, Christopher Chowrimootoo demonstrates how Britten's works allowed audiences to have their modernist cake and eat it: to revel in the pleasures of consonance, lyricism, and theatrical spectacle even while enjoying the prestige that came from rejecting them. By focusing on moments when reigning aesthetic oppositions and hierarchies threatened to collapse, this study offers a powerful model for recovering shades of grey in the traditionally black-and-white historiographies of twentieth-century music.Trade Review“…an insightful study on the elusive concept of the middlebrow in the critical reception of Benjamin Britten’s stage works. … Importantly, Chowrimootoo confronts the ambiguities inherent in conceptions of the middlebrow, yet he does not seek to resolve them. Instead, he accepts that Britten identified as both a composer who valued accessibility and public service, and as one who advocated for the serious study and interpretation of his music.” * North American British Music Studies Association Reviews *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments 1. Middlebrow Modernism 2. Sentimentality under Erasure in Peter Grimes 3. The Timely Traditions of Albert Herring 4. The Turn of the Screw, or: The Gothic Melodrama of Modernism 5. The Burning Fiery Furnace and the Redemption of Religious Kitsch 6. Death in Venice and the Aesthetics of SublimationNotes Bibliography Index
£27.00
University of California Press In Stravinskys Orbit Responses to Modernism in
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Note on Transliteration Introduction 1. Double Narratives or Dukelsky’s The End of St. Petersburg 2. Soviet “méchanique” or the Bolshevik Temptation 3. Neoclassicism à la russe 1 or Reclaiming the Eighteenth Century in Nabokov’s Ode 4. Neoclassicism à la russe 2 or Stravinsky’s Version of Similia similibus curentur 5. 1937 or Pushkin Divided 6. A Feast in Time of Plague 7. Epilogue or Firebird to Phoenix Notes Selected Bibliography Index
£999.99
University of California Press Understanding the Women of Mozarts Operas
Book SynopsisIs The Marriage of Figaro just about Figaro? Is Don Giovanni's story the only oneor even the most interesting onein the opera that bears his name? For generations of critics, historians, and directors, it's Mozart's men who have mattered most. Too often, the female characters have been understood from the male protagonist's point of view or simply reduced on stage (and in print) to paper cutouts from the age of the powdered wig and the tightly cinched corset. It's time to give Mozart's womenand Mozart's multi-dimensional portrayals of feminine charactertheir due. In this lively book, Kristi Brown-Montesano offers a detailed exploration of the female roles in Mozart's four most frequently performed operas, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, and Die Zauberflöte. Each chapter takes a close look at the music, libretto text, literary sources, and historical factors that give shape to a character, re-evaluating common assumptions and proposing fresh interpretations. Brown-Montesano views each character as the subject of a story, not merely the object of a hero's narrative or the stock figure of convention. From amiable Zerlina, to the awesome Queen of the Night, to calculating Despina, all of Mozart's women have something unique to say. These readings also tackle provocative social, political, and cultural issues, which are used in the operas to define positive and negative images of femininity: revenge, power, seduction, resistance, autonomy, sacrifice, faithfulness, class, maternity, and sisterhood. Keenly aware of the historical gap between the origins of these works and contemporary culture, Brown-Montesano discusses how attitudes about such conceptspast and currentinfluence our appreciation of these fascinating representations of women.Trade Review“An interesting, unique, well-written study.” * CHOICE *“Brown-Montesano has set out to write something that will be of value to directors and singers in search of a character and general opera lovers who simply want to understand more about Mozart. This lively, perceptive study succeeds brilliantly on all counts.” * Classical Music Magazine *Table of ContentsContentsAcknowledgmentsOvertureAct One: (Anti-)Heroines and Women on the Edge1. Feminine Vengeance I: The Assailed/AssailantDonna Anna2. Sisterhood and Seduction I: Abandonment and RescueDonna Elvira3. Class SurvivalZerlina4. Feminine Vengeance II: (Over)Powered PoliticsThe Queen of the Night5. Good Daughter, Good WifePamina6. Woman’s Identity I: Sacred and ProfaneThe Three Ladies and PapagenaAct Two: Sisterly Alliances and Sisters Subverted7. Sisterhood and Seduction II: Friendship and ClassCountess Almaviva and Susanna8. Woman’s Identity II: Loss and LegitimacyMarcellina and Barbarina9. Sisterhood and Seduction III: Intimacy and InfluenceFiordiligi and Dorabella10. Survival ClassDespinaNotesWorks CitedIndex
£27.00
Harvard University Press Arnold Schoenbergs Journey
Book SynopsisProposing that Arnold Schoenberg has been more discussed than heard, more tolerated than loved, Allen Shawn puts aside ultimate judgments about Schoenberg's place in music history to explore the composer's fascinating world in a series of linked essayssoundingsthat are both searching and wonderfully suggestive.Trade ReviewA collection of elegant and persuasive essays: analytic discussions of single works and vivid accounts of phases and facets of Schoenberg’s life...Shawn is an engaging writer. -- Anthony Tommasini * New York Times *One of the best things to have happened to the composer in a long time. Allen Shawn, a composer himself, is an admirer of Schoenberg. He gives us the whole man seen from within his cultural environment and from within his music too...Shawn invites us to share with him a spontaneous and warm response to Schoenberg’s music rather than a purely analytical one...Shawn is exceptionally felicitous at finding words for music, which makes him an ideal companion on this journey of discovery. -- George Perle * Wall Street Journal *Nothing in recent years has filled me with an urgent desire to re-engage with [Schoenberg’s music] so much as this sensitive and personal book. -- Bayan Northcott * BBC Music Magazine *Table of ContentsForeword Introduction: Six Little Piano Pieces BRIDGE PASSAGE, 1874-1908 1. First Loves 2. Transfigured Night 3. Dawn: The Gurre-Lieder 4. Berlin Cabaret 5. Coming Apart 6. An Inner Compulsion A NEW FORM OF EXPRESSION, 1909-13 7. Farben 8. Listening to Five Pieces for Orchestra 9. Paths to (and in) Erwartung 10. Wrong Notes 11. Six Little Pieces 12. Theory of Harmony 13. Pierrot 14. Die gluckliche Hand SILENCE, ORDER, AND TERROR, 1914-33 15. Incident at Mattsee 16. Critics and Disciples 17. A Clearing in the Forest: Twelve-Tone Music 18. Satires 19. Catastrophe 20. Moses and Arnold AMERICA, 1933-51 21. Exodus 22. 1940: Stravinsky and Schoenberg 23. Games 24. On Being Short 25. Piano Concerto 26. Death and Rebirth 27. Seventy-fifth Birthday AFTERLIFE 28. Death and Rebirth II 29. Writings about Schoenberg 30. Last Notes: Portrait in Retrograde Suggested Readings Notes Acknowledgments Index
£25.16
Princeton University Press Mendelssohn and His World
Book SynopsisDuring the 1830s and 1840s the remarkably versatile composer-pianist-organist-conductor Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy stood at the forefront of German and English musical life. Bringing together previously unpublished essays by historians and musicologists, reflections on Mendelssohn written by his contemporaries, the composer''s own letters, and early critical reviews of his music, this volume explores various facets of Mendelssohn''s music, his social and intellectual circles, and his career. The essays in Part I cover the nature of a Jewish identity in Mendelssohn''s music (Leon Botstein); his relationship to the Berlin Singakademie (William A. Little); the role of his sister Fanny Hensel, herself a child prodigy and accomplished composer (Nancy Reich); Mendelssohn''s compositional craft in the Italian Symphony and selected concert overtures (Claudio Spies); his oratorio Elijah (Martin Staehelin); his incidental music to Sophocles'' Antigone (Michael P. Steinberg); his anthem Why, Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1992 "Mendelssohn and His World... is richly textured in its approaches-music-, social-, and religious-historical; biographical; analytic; and documentary-and, what is perhaps more rewarding, in the implicit dialogues engendered by its inherent multiplicity of voices."--NotesTable of Contents*FrontMatter, pg. i*Contents, pg. v*Preface, pg. ix*Acknowledgments, pg. xiii*The Aesthetics of Assimilation and Affirmation: Reconstructing the Career of Felix Mendelssohn, pg. 5*Some Notes on an Anthem by Mendelssohn, pg. 43*Mendelssohn and the Berlin Singakademie: The Composer at the Crossroads, pg. 65*The Power of Class: Fanny Hensel, pg. 86*Samplings, pg. 100*Elijah, Johann Sebastian Bach, and the New Covenant: On the Aria "Es ist genug" in Felix Mendelssohn- Bartholdy"s Oratorio Elijah, pg. 121*The Incidental Politics to Mendelssohn's Antigone, pg. 137*The Unfinished Mendelssohn, pg. 158*Conversations with Felix Mendelssohn, pg. 187*From the Memoirs of Adolf Bernhard Marx, pg. 206*Reminiscences of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, pg. 221*Reminiscences of Mendelssohn by His English Pupil, pg. 237*From the Memoirs of F. Max Muller, pg. 252*From the Memoirs of Ernst Rudorff, pg. 259*Letters from Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy to Aloys Fuchs, pg. 275*Mendelssohn as Teacher, pg. 310*Robert Schumann with Reference to Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and the Development of Modern Music in General, pg. 341*Heinrich Heine on Mendelssohn, pg. 352*On F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's Oratorio Elijah, pg. 364*On Mendelssohn and Some of His Contemporary Critics, pg. 382*Felix Mendelssohn, pg. 390*Index of Names and Compositions, pg. 395*List of Contributors, pg. 402
£55.25
Princeton University Press Beethoven and His World
Book SynopsisFew composers even begin to approach Beethoven''s pervasive presence in modern Western culture, from the concert hall to the comic strip. Edited by a cultural historian and a music theorist, Beethoven and His World gathers eminent scholars from several disciplines who collectively speak to the range of Beethoven''s importance and of our perennial fascination with him. The contributors address Beethoven''s musical works and their cultural contexts. Reinhold Brinkmann explores the post-revolutionary context of Beethoven''s Eroica Symphony, while Lewis Lockwood establishes a typology of heroism in works like Fidelio. Elaine Sisman, Nicholas Marston, and Glenn Stanley discuss issues of temporality, memory, and voice in works at the threshold of Beethoven''s late style, such as An die Ferne Geliebte, the Cello Sonata op. 102, no. 1, and the somewhat later Piano Sonata op. 109. Peering behind the scenes into Beethoven''s workshop, Tilman Skowroneck explains how tTrade Review"Shows a remarkable variety of current academic concerns having to do with Beethoven... Filled with other interesting and delightful tidbits..."--James R. Oestreich, The New York TimesTable of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments by Scott Burnham and Michael P. Steinberg VIl PART I HEROIC BEETHOVEN In the Time(s) of the "Eroica"by Reinhold Brinlmann Translated by Irene Zedlacher 1 Beethoven, Florestan, and the Varieties of Heroism by Lewis Lockwood 27 PART II LATE BEETHOVEN Memory and Invention at the Threshold of Beethoven's Late Style by Elaine Sisman 51 Voices and Their Rhythms in the First Movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op. 109: Some Thoughts on the Performance and Analysis of a Late-Style Work by Glenn Stanley 88 Voicing Beethoven's Distant Beloved by Nicholas Marston 124 PART III BEETHOVEN IN THE WORKSHOP Keyboard Instruments of the Young Beethoven by Tilman Skowroneck 151 Contrast and Continuity in Beethoven's Creative Process by William Kinderman 193 PART IV BEETHOVEN IN THE WORLD Performances of Grief: Vienna's Response to the Death of Beethoven by Christopher Gibbs 227 The Visual Beethoven: Whence, Why, and Whither the Scowl? by Alessandra Comini 286 Beethoven and Masculinity by Sanna Pederson 313 The Search for Meaning in Beethoven: Popularity, Intimacy, and Politics in Historical Perspective by Leon Botstein 332 Index x Notes on Contributors x
£999.99
Princeton University Press Aaron Copland and His World
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£38.25
Princeton University Press Jean Sibelius and His World
Book SynopsisPerhaps no twentieth-century composer has provoked a varied reaction among the music-loving public than Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). This book focuses on the position occupied by Sibelius in the Western musical tradition.Trade Review"The connection between Sibelius and the Russian tradition--an influence that went in both directions--is the subject of an excellent essay by Philip Ross Bullock in the book accompanying the festival, Jean Sibelius and His World, from Princeton University Press."--Zachary Woolfe, New York Times "As this collection shows, there is a resurgence of interest in the music of Jean Sibelius... [T]he book is full of useful information."--Choice "Jean Sibelius and His World ends with English translations of a number of important primary documents... Perhaps the most important document is Theodor Adorno's critique 'Goss on Sibelius.' I have read about these documents in many Sibelius essays, here and elsewhere, so we owe a debt of gratitude to Daniel Grimley for making them available in translation. This book represents the high level of current Sibelius scholarship and should be a welcome addition to academic music libraries."--Carl Rafikonen, Notes "[T]his is a fine collection of essays that advances Sibelius research significantly. It bears the title Sibelius and his World, but it also does an excellent job of alerting the reader to Sibelius's relevance to our world."--Derek B. Scott, Music and LettersTable of ContentsAcknowledgments and Permissions vii Sibelius, Finland, and the Idea of Landscape ix PART I: ESSAYS Sibelius and the Russian Traditions by PHILIP ROSS BULLOCK 3 From Heaven's Floor to the Composer's Desk: Sibelius's Musical Manuscripts and Compositional Process by TIMO VIRTANEN 58 Theatrical Sibelius: The Melodramatic Lizard by JEFFREY KALLBERG 74 The Wings of a Butterfly: Sibelius and the Problems of Musical Modernity by TOMI MAKELA 89 "Thor's Hammer": Sibelius and British Music Critics, 1905-1957 by BYRON ADAMS 125 Jean Sibelius and His American Connections by GLENDA DAWN GOSS 158 Art and the Ideology of Nature: Sibelius, Hamsun, Adorno by MAX PADDISON 173 Storms, Symphonies, Silence: Sibelius's Tempest Music 186 and the Invention of Late Style by DANIEL M. GRIMLEY 186 Waving from the Periphery: Sibelius, Aalto, and the Finnish Pavilions SARAH MENIN 227 Old Masters: Jean Sibelius and Richard Strauss in the Twentieth Century by LEON BOTSTEIN PART II: DOCUMENTS 256 Selections from Adolf Paul's A Book About a Human Being 307 TRANSLATED BY ANNIKA LINDSKOG INTRODUCED BY DANIEL M. GRIMLEY Some Viewpoints Concerning Folk Music and Its Influence on the Musical Arts by JEAN SIBELIUS 315 TRANSLATED FROM THE SWEDISH BY MARGARETA MARTIN INTRODUCED BY DANIEL M. GRIMLEY Selection from Erik Furuhjelm's Jean Sibelius: A Survey of His Life and Music 326 TRANSLATED BY MARGARETA MARTIN INTRODUCED BY DANIEL M. GRIMLEY Adorno on Sibelius 331 TRANSLATED BY SUSAN H. GILLESPIE INTRODUCED BY DANIEL M. GRIMLEY Monumentalizing Sibelius: Eila Hiltunen and the Sibelius Memorial Controversy 338 INTRODUCED AND TRANSLATED BY DANIEL M. GRIMLEY Index 355 Notes on the Contributors 368
£31.50
Princeton University Press Franz Schubert and His World
Book SynopsisDuring his short lifetime, Franz Schubert (1797-1828) contributed to a wide variety of musical genres, from intimate songs and dances to ambitious chamber pieces, symphonies, and operas. The essays and translated documents in Franz Schubert and His World examine his compositions and ties to the Viennese cultural context, revealing surprising and ovTrade Review"The historical background provided by these essays often sheds light on the music. A thorough index makes this a valuable reference work as well as a good read."--Stephen Matthews, The SchubertianTable of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments vii Permissions and Credits xvii Schubert: The Nonsense Society Revisited 1 RITA STEBLIN Excerpts from Beytrage zur Bildung fur Junglinge, 1817-1818 39 ANTON VON SPAUN AND JOHANN MAYRHOFER TRANSLATED, INTRODUCED, AND ANNOTATED BY DAVID GRAMIT "Those of us who found our life in art": The Second-Generation 67 Romanticism of the Schubert-Schober Circle, 1820-1825 JOHN M. GINGERICH Schubert's Kosegarten Settings of 1815: A Forgotten Liederspiel 115 MORTEN SOLVIK The Queen of Golconda, the Ashman, and the Shepherd on a Rock: Schubert and the Vienna Volkstheater 157 LISA FEURZEIG Liszt on Schubert's Alfonso und Estrella 183 INTRODUCED AND TRANSLATED BY ALLAN KEILER Schubert's Freedom of Song, If Not Speech 201 KRISTINA MUXFELDT Schubert's Tombeau de Beethoven: Decrypting the Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 100 241 CHRISTOPHER H. GIBBS Schubert in History 299 LEON BOTSTEIN Index 349 Notes on Contributors 363
£28.80
Princeton University Press Carlos Ch225vez and His World
Book SynopsisCarlos Chavez (1899-1978) is the central figure in Mexican music of the twentieth century and among the most eminent of all Latin American modernist composers. An enfant terrible in his own country, Chavez was an integral part of the emerging music scene in the United States in the 1920s. His highly individual style--diatonic, dissonant, contrapuntTrade Review"An insightful volume."--William Robin, The New York TimesTable of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xvii Permissions and Credits xviii PART 1 CHAVEZ'S MUSICAL WORLD Chavez, Modern Music, and the New York Scene 2 CHRISTINA TAYLOR GIBSON The Pan/American Modernisms of Carlos Chavez and Henry Cowell 28 STEPHANIE N. STALLINGS "The heartbeat of an intense life": Mexican Music and Carlos Chavez's Orquesta Sinfonica de Mexico, 1928-1948 46 RICARDO MIRANDA Carlos Chavez's Symphonies 62 JULIAN ORBON, TRANSLATED, INTRODUCED, AND ANNOTATED BY LEONORA SAAVEDRA Carlos Chavez and Silvestre Revueltas: Retracing an Ignored Dialogue 76 ROBERTO KOLB-NEUHAUS Aaron Copland, Carlos Chavez, and Silvestre Revueltas 99 HOWARD POLLACK PART II BIOGRAPHICAL AND ANALYTICAL PERSPECTIVES Chavez and the Autonomy of the Musical Work: The Piano Music 112 LUISA VILAR-PAYA Carlos Chavez and the Myth of the Aztec Renaissance 134 LEONORA SAAVEDRA Non-Repetition and Personal Style in the Inventions and Solis 165 AMY BAUER Music and the Marketplace: On the Backstory of Carlos Chavez's Violin Concerto178 DAVID BRODBECK PART III CHAVEZ'S GREATER WORLD Carlos Chavez and the Mexican "Vogue," 1925-1940 204 HELEN DELPAR Carlos Chavez and Paul Strand 220 JAMES KRIPPNER Masters Carlos Chavez and Miguel Covarrubias: A Puppet Show 237 ANTONIO SABORIT, TRANSLATED BY REBECCA LEVI The Literary Affinities and Poetic Friendships of Carlos Chavez 255 SUSANA GONZALEZ AKTORIES, TRANSLATED BY REBECCA LEVI The Composer as Intellectual: Carlos Chavez and El Colegio Nacional 273 ANA R. ALONSO-MINUTTI Portraits of Carlos Chavez: Testimonies of Collaboration 295 ANNA INDYCH-LOPEZ The Modernist Invention of Mexico: Carlos Chavez, the Mexican Revolution, and the Cultural Politics of Music 306 LEON BOTSTEIN Index 339 Notes on the Contributors 357
£28.80
Princeton University Press Giacomo Puccini and His World
Book SynopsisTrade Review"The collection is an amazing potpourri of Puccini scholarship."--ChoiceTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii Permissions viii Introduction: Puccini, His World, and Ours 1 EMANUELE SENICI PART I: Essays Realism and Skepticism in Puccini's Early Operas 29 ARMAN SCHWARTZ Madama Butterfly Between East and West 49 ARTHUR GROOS Laggiu nel Soledad: Indexing and Archiving the Operatic West 85 ELLEN LOCKHART The Swallow and the Lark: La rondine and Viennese Operetta 111 MICAELA BARANELLO Puccini's Things: Materials and Media in Il trittico 133 ALESSANDRA CAMPANA AND CHRISTOPHER MORRIS Puccini, Fascism, and the Case of Turandot 159 BEN EARLE Music, Language, and Meaning in Opera: Puccini and His Contemporaries 183 LEON BOTSTEIN PART II: Documents Puccini on His Interpreters 229 INTRODUCTION, TRANSLATION, AND COMMENTARY BY EMANUELE SENICI The Verismo Debate 261 INTRODUCTION, TRANSLATION, AND COMMENTARY BY ARMAN SCHWARTZ Leoncavallo's Pagliacci and Modern-Realistic Opera 273 by Hans Merian INTRODUCTION BY WALTER FRISCH, TRANSLATION AND NOTES BY ELAINE FITZ GIBBON Albert Carre's Staging Manual for Madama Butterfly (1906) 291 INTRODUCTION BY MICHELE GIRARDI, TRANSLATION BY DELIA CASADEI; STAGING MANUAL TRANSLATION BY STEVEN HUEBNER Selections from Fausto Torrefranca's Giacomo Puccini and International Opera 323 INTRODUCTION BY ALEXANDRA WILSON, TRANSLATION BY DELIA CASADEI Index 337 Notes on Contributors 347
£999.99
Princeton University Press RimskyKorsakov and His World
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Rimskii-Korsakov and His World is to be welcomed not just for the many riches within it, but for its implicit call to continue the work of reconsidering the composer to whom it is so devoted."---Philip Ross Bullock, Slavonic and East European Review
£74.80
Princeton University Press RimskyKorsakov and His World
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Rimskii-Korsakov and His World is to be welcomed not just for the many riches within it, but for its implicit call to continue the work of reconsidering the composer to whom it is so devoted."---Philip Ross Bullock, Slavonic and East European Review
£28.80
Princeton University Press Korngold and His World
Book Synopsis
£28.80
Princeton University Press Schumann and His World
Book SynopsisWe know Robert Schumann in many ways: as a visionary composer, a seasoned journalist, a cultured man of letters, and a genius who, having passed his mantle on to the young Brahms, succumbed to mental illness in 1856. Drawing on recent pathbreaking research, this collection offers new perspectives on this seminal nineteenth-century figure. In PartTrade Review"The seven studies of [Robert Schumann] and his music cover the composer's inspirations, his sources, and his relations with numerous interesting people... [a] well-rounded and interesting picture of the composer and his times."--Library Journal "This volume ... edited by the American scholar Larry R. Todd, contains a substantial essay on the composer's cultural background, ... a comparably comprehensive piece ... linking sociological to psychological motives, ... and a fascinating account by the editor of Schumann's use of quotation and self-quotation... Parts 2 and 3 of the book reprint letters, memoirs and critical commentaries by Schumann's contemporaries and successors."--Times Literary Supplement "Rich in new ideas."--ChoiceTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsHistory, Rhetoric, and the Self: Robert Schumann and Music Making in German-Speaking Europe, 1800-18603Schumann's Homelessness47On Quotation in Schumann's Music80Schumann's Symphonic Finales113Schumann's "New Genre for the Concert Hall": Das Paradies und die Peri in the Eyes of a Contemporary129The Intentional Tourist: Romantic Irony in the Eichendorff Liederkreis of Robert Schumann156"Actually, Taken Directly from Family Life": Robert Schumann's Album fur die Jugend171The Correspondence between Clara Wieck Schumann and Felix and Paul Mendelssohn205Reminiscences of Robert Schumann (1878)233Robert Schumann in Endenich (1899)268Schumanniana (1925)288On Robert Schumann's Piano Compositions (1844)303Robert Schumann with Reference to Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and the Development of Modern Music in General (1845)317Robert Schumann (1855)338Schumanniana No. 4: The Present Musical Epoch and Robert Schumann's Position in Music History (1861)362On Schumann as Symphonist (1904-1906)375Index of Names and Compositions385List of Contributors395
£49.30
MB - Cornell University Press The Death of Franz Liszt Based on the Unpublished
Book Synopsis"If only I do not die here." After falling ill during a visit to Bayreuth, Franz Liszt uttered this melancholy refrain throughout his final days, which were spent in rented rooms in a house opposite Wahnfried, the home of his daughter Cosima and his...Trade ReviewA macabre little classic. -- Alex Ross * The New Yorker *The Death of Franz Liszt brings you into the closest possible proximity to this much idolized pianist, thanks to a detailed diary kept by his pupil and caregiver, one Lina Schmalhausen. The closer you get to Liszt, the more you admire him as a singular example of one whose talent and fame spawned generosity and wisdom in a world ruled by self-serving pettiness. -- David Patrick Stearns * Philadelphia Inquirer *
£22.79
Cornell University Press Bach in Berlin
Book SynopsisIn this book, Celia Applegate asks why the 1829 performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion crystallized the hitherto inchoate notion that music was central to Germans' collective identity.Trade ReviewBach in Berlin is a wonderful piece of scholarship from a leading historian of German national identity.... It is not so much an account of the revival itself, but instead an examination of how educated Germans (the Bildungsbürgertum) learned to view music as a fundamental component of German culture and how they saw Bach, especially in his vocal music, as the epitome of German music: serious, profound, religious. Applegate tells the story brilliantly, traversing disciplinary boundaries with virtuosic ease.... Stunningly original, well-written, and judicious in its handling of historical and musicological controversies, Bach in Berlin is an engaging, first-rate book that should be on the reading list of anyone with interests in nineteenth-century music and German history. -- Anthony J. Steinhoff * H-Germany, H-Net Reviews *Applegate brings together the personnel and circumstances around an event famous in all music history books. Her confident handling of written sources reveals Berlin as a burgeoning city of culture and, let us not forget, military power, both of which were to impinge so radically on Europe that all kinds of historians will find much of interest in Bach in Berlin. I particularly appreciated the excerpts from the day's musical journals, pleased to see that, for example, Bach’s recitative was already admired by the discriminating. * Musical Times *Exemplary.... Applegate arranges her material elegantly around an account of the 1829 performance itself, supported by a detailed examination of the circumstances in which it took shape, and discusses how these illuminate an emerging German culture.... The story of the revival of the St. Matthew Passion is people by vivid characters. Among the principals are Mendelssohn, Schinkel and Goethe, supported by Zelter and Fasch and the actor Eduard Devrient, but the evocation of place and period is made more lively by Applegate's fascination with the coteries surrounding them. -- Richard Coles * Times Literary Supplement *It is easy to enjoy Applegate's fascinating and flawlessly written book, which abounds in colorful prose and into which a myriad of well-chosen and superbly translated quotations are woven. Every page is engaging. -- Mark-Daniel Schmid * Nations and Nationalism *Table of ContentsIntroductionChapter One. Great Expectations: Mendelssohn and the St. Matthew PassionChapter Two. Toward a Music Aesthetics of the NationChapter Three. Music Journalism and the Formation of JudgmentChapter Four. Musical Amateurism and the Exercise of TasteChapter Five. The St. Matthew Passion in Concert: Protestantism, Historicism, and Sacred MusicChapter Six. Beyond 1829: Musical Culture, National CultureBibliography Index
£39.95
University of Nebraska Press Bruno Walter
Book SynopsisBruno Walter, one of the twentieth century's greatest conductors, lived a fascinating life in difficult times. This book is a biography of Walter. It tells of Walter's close friendship with Gustav Mahler, his relations with Thomas Mann and his family, and his romantic involvement with the soprano Delia Reinhardt.Trade Review"A major contribution to the literature . . . essential reading."—Mortimer Frank, Fanfare"Highly readable . . . this book rates not only as a labor of love but as an authority."—Richard Buell, The Boston Globe"Timely and welcome . . . a steady, evenhanded chronicle of Walter’s career."—Allan Keiler, New York Review of Books
£21.59
Stanford University Press Musica Ficta Figures of Wagner Meridian Crossing
Book SynopsisThis is a pioneering attempt to rearticulate the relationship between music and the problem of mimesis, of presentation and re-presentation. Four "scenes" compose this book, all four of them responses to Wagner: two by French poets (Baudelaire and Mallarmé), two by German philosophers (Heidegger and Adorno).Trade Review"This is a remarkable book. Not since Theodor Adorno has a theoretical work approached music in as broad, incisive and provocative a way as does Lacoue-Labarthe's Musica Ficta. The book opens up an entirely new perspective for reinterpreting the relations between music, theater, literature, and the philosophical-aesthetical tradition that has largely governed our understanding of those media. For the first time, to my knowledge, recent analyses of representation are brought to bear on the function of music, revealing its particular affinities to theatricality. Musica Ficta breaks new ground." -- Samuel Weber * University of California, Los Angeles *"A remarkable book. Not since Theodor Adorno has a theoretical work approached music in as broad, incisive, and provocative a way. The book opens up an entirely new perspective for reinterpreting the relations between music, theater, literature, and the philosophical-aesthet ic tradition that has largely governed our understanding of those media." -- Samuel Weber * University of California, Los Angeles *"Lacoue-Labarthe's work is a thought-provoking book: the reader embarks on an intellectual journey that draws connections between music, theater, aesthetics, philosophy, and history from ancient Greece to the present. . . . Lacoue-Labarthe offers a point of departure for a new aesthetic of art, one appropriate to the philosophical problems of the 20th Century." -- Wagner NotesTable of ContentsContents 1 2 3 4
£84.15
Stanford University Press Musica Ficta Figures of Wagner Meridian Crossing
Book SynopsisThis is a pioneering attempt to rearticulate the relationship between music and the problem of mimesis, of presentation and re-presentation. Four "scenes" compose this book, all four of them responses to Wagner: two by French poets (Baudelaire and Mallarmé), two by German philosophers (Heidegger and Adorno).Trade Review"This is a remarkable book. Not since Theodor Adorno has a theoretical work approached music in as broad, incisive and provocative a way as does Lacoue-Labarthe's Musica Ficta. The book opens up an entirely new perspective for reinterpreting the relations between music, theater, literature, and the philosophical-aesthetical tradition that has largely governed our understanding of those media. For the first time, to my knowledge, recent analyses of representation are brought to bear on the function of music, revealing its particular affinities to theatricality. Musica Ficta breaks new ground." -- Samuel Weber * University of California, Los Angeles *"A remarkable book. Not since Theodor Adorno has a theoretical work approached music in as broad, incisive, and provocative a way. The book opens up an entirely new perspective for reinterpreting the relations between music, theater, literature, and the philosophical-aesthet ic tradition that has largely governed our understanding of those media." -- Samuel Weber * University of California, Los Angeles *"Lacoue-Labarthe's work is a thought-provoking book: the reader embarks on an intellectual journey that draws connections between music, theater, aesthetics, philosophy, and history from ancient Greece to the present. . . . Lacoue-Labarthe offers a point of departure for a new aesthetic of art, one appropriate to the philosophical problems of the 20th Century." -- Wagner NotesTable of ContentsContents 1 2 3 4
£21.59
