Music reviews and criticism Books

Book SynopsisThe process of creating and reflection upon autobiographical memory is an everyday practice that is typical within the human experience. When music becomes integrated into personal memories, an invitation to remember is provided through both purposeful listening activities and incidental engagement with music in the everyday. The result is a metaphorical canon of music that accompanies life experiences. The Lifetime Soundtrack investigates musically motivated autobiographical memories as they relate to the lifetime soundtrack in order to provide further understanding of their occurrence, nuance, emotionality, and function for individuals. Drawing on in-depth discussions with younger and older adults, each chapter reflects on a common theme or aspect of musically motivated memory. People, places, and eras feature frequently, with memories of childhood, family, past romantic relationships, and the major and minor events occurring within them acting as prime sites for memory and music interaction. The book also considers the ways in which musically memory may manifest differently for trained musicians, for whom music represents both leisure and work. Forging a broad foundation in an overlooked area, this study brings together sociological views on the personal use of music and existing ideas on the workings of human memory. At the same time, it aims to fortify the concept of the Lifetime Soundtrack as a sociological concept with broad application in future research. In so doing, the book highlights the significance of music-enhanced reflection as a tool for the composition of meaning within everyday life.

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Book SynopsisEberhard Weber is a virtuoso who revolutionized jazz bass playing. He brought his instrument from the far corner of the stage into the spotlight - and turned it into a solo force. He began his career as a jazz bassist in the 1960s, and his band Colours with the saxophonist Charlie Mariano became one of the most successful jazz groups in Europe. His record Colours of Chloe (made for ECM) was a cult album in its time. Weber went on to perform with many the big stars of the international jazz scene, including Wolfgang Dauner, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny and Jan Garbarek. He was also a key member of the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble. Playing the five-string instrument, both in acoustic and electric form, he also became a master of the solo recital, using electronics to accompany his own dexterous improvisations. Weber has not been able to play the bass since he suffered a stroke in April 2007 during a sound check with the Jan Garbarek Group at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall. But he had already created an oeuvre that is second to none. The charismatic bassist made jazz history with his explorations, both in terms of his own instrument and with his range of creative musical companions. His remarkable autobiography is at the same time a humorous and exciting testimony to a vital period in German jazz history. This is the first English translation of the original published in German by Sagas in 2015.Table of ContentsPrelude 1 A Stroke of Bad Luck 2 If Only I Knew 3 Under the Grand Piano 4 A Dab Hand 5 “Hey, how about it?” 6 Free!? 7 Telephone Bass Player 8 “I’m gonna get one!” 9 New Colours 10 Philharmonic Full Circle 11 Well Received 12 “Now you’ve made it!” 13 Down Under 14 Longer Than Most Marriages 15 United (Kingdom) 16 Border Crossings 17 Highs and Lows 18 To Poona, Please! 19 Home Advantage? 20 Perfect Sound Postlude Discography

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Book SynopsisDonald Mitchell's second book on the life and work of Gustav Mahler examines the fruitful years of the First to the Fourth Symphonies, as well as the earlier song cycles from the Gesellen lieder to the magical Ruckert songs. A work of painstaking and imaginative scholarship presented in eminently readable language. MUSICAL QUARTERLY Mitchell has amassed and processed an imposing amount of material, most of it new... It includes a section on Mahler and Freud, discusses Bach's influence on Mahler, and reproduces contemporary criticism... Invaluable for Mahler scholars and lovers. ECONOMIST Donald Mitchell's second book on the life and work of Gustav Mahler focuses principally on Mahler's first settings of Wunderhorn texts, volumes I and II of the Lieder und Gesaenge; his first song-cycle, the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen; and the later orchestral settings of Wunderhorn poems. The central section of the book explores the extraordinary and often eccentric chronology of the First, Second and Third Symphonies' composition, an often minute exploration which reveals the interpenetration of song and symphony in this period of Mahler's art, emphasizes the significance for these works of imagery drawn from the Wunderhorn anthology, and calls attention to the ambiguous position occupied by much of Mahler's music atthis time, suspended as it was between the rival claims - and forms - of symphony and symphonic poem. The final section of the book not only looks at the Fourth Symphony as the final, perhaps most perfect, flowering of Mahler's Wunderhorn symphonies, but also investigates such fascinating topics as the relationship between Mahler and Berlioz, and the influence of Bach on Mahler's later masterpieces. This new edition of the book offers an entirelynew preface, in which Mitchell gives a unique account of the influence of politics, nationalism and fascism on the reception and rejection of Mahler's music, after the composer's death until the Mahler Renaissance of the 1950s and 1960s. It also includes extensive corrigenda and amplifying addenda, making it clear that the Wunderhorn influence persisted beyond the end of the period during which the Wunderhorn anthology was a constant sourceof inspiration. It is completed by an international bibliography which documents chronologically the reception and study of his music both in the past, and the prodigiously different circumstances of the present. DONALD MITCHELL was Founder Professor of Music at the University of Sussex. He is well known for his major studies of Mahler, among his many other books and studies. He was awarded the CBE in 2000.Trade Review'A work of painstaking and imaginative scholarship presented in eminently readable language.' MUSICAL QUARTERLY Invaluable for Mahler scholars and lovers.' ECONOMIST

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Book SynopsisA fresh appraisal of Schubert's nature and beliefs, deriving from close study of his works. Remarkable new study...Its central submission, that we have hitherto disregarded or misinterpreted the most profound intuitions of a unique composer, certainly carries conviction. And even after one reading there are already musical passages that this Schubert enthusiast finds himself hearing in quite a new way. Bayan Northcott, BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE The old stereotypes of Schubert as Bohemian artist and unselfconscious creator have been replaced over the past half-century with a picture of a difficult man in difficult times. The author aims to redress the balance, concentrating firstly on works where Schubert's beliefs are clearly expressed (masses, other religious music, songs amounting to Geistliche Lieder). This also prompts an examination of instrumental masterpieces [Unfinished and Great C Major Symphonies, and the Wanderer Fantasy], which show that Schubert's religious side encompasses awe and terror as well as wonder. Schubert's 'complete voice' is thus clearly heard, rather than the sombre one currently emphasised in both literature and concert. LEO BLACK is a former BBC chief producer for music.Trade ReviewRemarkable new study. -- Bayan Northcott * BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE *A thoroughly convincing study of the music, beautifully and unpretentiously written... Excellent study does memorable justice to the composer. * CLASSIC FM *An important and absorbing addition to the canon of Schubert literature. * GRAMOPHONE *[This] book is an invaluable addition to Schubert studies, not only as a treasure trove for the academic, but also for the performing musician.... The author is clearly a musicologist of the highest order, but he also proves to be a philosopher of insight and generosity, and it is here that his genius lies.... Leo Black has written a masterpiece and a monument. Robert Tear in * THE OLDIE *There is much that is interesting and original in this book. * MUSIC & LETTERS *

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Book SynopsisWe knew from her recordings that Susan Tomes is a superb chamber player; now we know that she's a superb writer too. Michael Church, INDEPENDENT In this widely acclaimed volume, Susan Tomes, a rare example of a leading musicianwho writes about the craft of performance, describes her experience of twenty years of rehearsal, concerts and recording. We knew from her recordings that Susan Tomes is a superb chamber player; now we know that she's a superb writer too. Michael Church, INDEPENDENT She is as sensitive an observer and as subtle a writer as she is one of our finest chamber musicians...This is a book that should be read by practising musicians and music-lovers alike: here's one performer who really can communicate in words as well as music. JAMES JOLLY, GRAMOPHONE Susan Tomes's bookgives you an intensely illuminating picture of the life of a pianist...she is a brilliant writer...Just as she magnetises with her playing, so too with her words. EDWARD GREENFIELD, GUARDIAN In this widely acclaimed volume, Susan Tomes, a rare example of a leading musician who writes about the craft of performance, describes her experience of twenty years of rehearsal, concerts and recording. Her performing life has been centred on chamber music and the need to communicate it fully to an audience hungry for meaningful musical experience. She was a founder member and the pianist of both Domus and the Florestan Trio, award-winning groups at the top of their field. Part One is a series of diaries describing their travels and performances: Domus in the 1980s with its own portable concert hall, struggling to create the conditions for informal but intense concert performances, and the Florestan Trio, currently one of the world's finest piano trios. Part Two is a collection of thought-provoking essays about teachers, making records, practising and rehearsing, audiences, earning a living, and the particular challenges of being a concert pianist. Beyond the Notes gives an unusually candid view of the complexities of a life in music. SUSAN TOMES, alongside her packed concert schedule, is a frequent contributor, on music and other subjects, to a number of publications.Trade ReviewA delight and a revelation...She writes with Schubertian intimacy, modesty and grace. -- Boyd Tonkin * INDEPENDENT *This book reveals [Tomes'] talents as a writer, too, one with a capacity for imaginative enquiry and a gift for the telling phrase... as natural and compelling a communicator in words as she is in music. * BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE *Professional musicians will sigh with recognition at page after page; readers...will have their eyes opened to the realities of the performer's life. I found the book absolutely enthralling. * CLASSICAL MUSIC *For more words on music, consider a wonderful book by pianist Susan Tomes of the Florestan Trio...Just reissued in paperback, Beyond the Notes is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the life of the touring concert artist. Her words are intimate and insightful, and her gentle frankness charms as she chronicles the role of the collaborative pianist. -- Susan Isaacs Nisbett * ANN ARBOR NEWS *

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Book SynopsisThe author of Beyond the Notes demonstrates how a working musician draws energy from the events of daily life, and sometimes seeks a refuge from them in music. Out of Silence is a diary of a year in Susan Tomes's life as a performer. Taking as its inspiration Schumann's remark that 'I am affected by everything that goes on in the world, and I think it all over in my own way', it aims to show how a working musician mulls over and draws energy from the events of everyday life. We follow this internationally renowned pianist as she prepares for concerts and performs, both as a soloist and as part of a chamber ensemble; we experience the highs and lows of practising and the challenges of live performance, we see her planning masterclasses and interacting with both musicians and audiences. She casts her mind back to her childhood - practicing before school on cold Edinburgh mornings, playing 'Danny Boy' for a relative - and reflects on paintings, dance, books, sport and gardening. 'A delight and a revelation...She writes with Schubertian intimacy, modesty and grace,' said the Independent of her first book, Beyond the Notes. Here Susan Tomes strives to unlock the secrets of great music and to understand its place in the wider world. SUSAN TOMES has won a number of awards for her recordings of chamber music. For fifteen years she was the pianist of Domus, and for another fifteen she has been the pianist of the Florestan Trio, one of the world's leading piano trios. She is the author of Beyond the Notes and A Musician's Alphabet. She writes occasionally for the Guardian and on a blog on her own website, www.susantomes.com.Trade ReviewThe Japanese translation of Out of Silence has been chosen as one of the best books of 2012 by Chopin magazine, Japan. * . *With a sure literary touch, that outstanding pianist and educator Susan Tomes [takes] us inside the world of the over-worked, under-valued classical player in 'Out of Silence'. I wish idiots who bleat about the 'elitism' of the classical tradition could at least pick up this generous, friendly, revealing diary of a year's hard slog. THE INDEPENDENT, Best Books for Christmas 2010 feature * THE INDEPENDENT, Best Books for Christmas 2010 feature *A distinguished performer who writes with penetration, fluency and charm...Tomes has the unique gift of answering questions about the musical life that every other literary register seems to overlook. A supreme chamber performer, she writes with all the qualities of her chosen field: intimate, exact, conversational; a style of mutual respect...Open this insightful and delightful book on any page, and learn with pleasure. * INDEPENDENT *Susan Tomes has contributed two remarkably probing books, Beyond the Notes and Out of Silence, to the literature [of performers writing about their craft]. -- Simon Callow * GUARDIAN *There have been books about the experience of playing...but none by so naturally gifted a writer as Tomes...[who] has a particular understanding of humanity rare in writing about music. * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *Packed full of fascinating material reflecting upon the difficult and sometimes intangible issues that face a busy professional pianist...what emerges from these pages is Tomes's strong sense of humility, her quirky humour, and above all her tremendous love and driving enthusiasm for her work...a compelling read. * BBC MUSIC *Tomes joins that small band of musicians whose literary skill runs parallel to their musical talent...[she] extracts on almost every page a life lesson for the rest of us, whether or not we are musicians. * CLASSIC FM MAGAZINE *This is an essentially practical volume that encapsulates what it is to be a jobbing professional who is sensitive to the interconnectivity of the world at large...by the end, I felt I not only knew more about the author, but also about myself. Highly recommended. * INTERNATIONAL PIANO *For a parent with a musically gifted child the collection is essential reading. * OLDIE *

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Book SynopsisThe book offers unprecedented access to primary sources that have been unavailable in English, or which lay unknown on archival shelves. Music and Soviet Power offers cultural history told through documents - both colourfuland representative - with an extensive commentary and annotation throughout. The October Revolution of 1917 tore the fabric of Russian musical life: institutions collapsed, and leading composers emigrated or fell into silence. But in 1932, at the outset of the "socialist realist" period, a new Stalinist music culture was emerging. Between these two dates lies a turbulent period of change which this book charts year by year. It sheds light on the vicious power struggles and ideological wars, the birth of new aesthetic credos, and the gradual increase of Party and state control over music, in the opera houses, the concert halls, the workers' clubs, and on the streets. The book not only provides a detailed and nuanced depiction of the early Soviet musical landscape, but brings it to life by giving voice to the leading actors and commentators of the day. The vibrant public discourse on music is presented through a selection of press articles, reviews and manifestos, all suppliedwith ample commentary. These myriad sources offer a new context for our understanding of Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Myaskovsky, while also showing how Western music was received in the USSR. This, however, is only half the story.The other half emerges from the private dimension of this cultural upheaval, traced through the letters, diaries and memoirs left by composers and other major players in the music world. These materials address the beliefs, motivations and actions of the Russian musical intelligentsia during the painful period of their adjustment to the changing demands of the new state. While following the twists and turns of official policies on music, the authors also offer their own explanations for the outcomes. The book offers unprecedented access to primary sources that have been unavailable in English, or which lay unknown on archival shelves. Music and Soviet Power offers cultural history told through documents - both colourful and representative - with an extensive commentary and annotation throughout. MARINA FROLOVA-WALKER is Reader in Music History at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge; JONATHAN WALKER, who has a PhD in Musicology, is a freelance writer, teacher and pianist.Trade Review[A] valuable source for both students and specialists of Soviet history and music. * INT'L JOURNAL OF RUSSIAN STUDIES *Frolova-Walker and Walker have done an admirable job of selecting documents that shed new light on the time period. This is an invaluable source for students of Soviet history and music, and even specialists will find much new material in the range of articles presented here. * REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIA *Highly recommended to those with a specialist or general interest in music [...] or, more broadly, in cultural politics or just politics. * JCES *[A] fascinating and invaluable book [...] It navigates an absorbing way through this difficult and complex period, and presents fresh material that should be made available beyond the confines of academic libraries and their scholars. * MUSICAL TIMES *Few will penetrate the archives as comprehensively as the authors, and the riches they have brought back will help to change and deepen our understanding of early Soviet music. * SCRSS NEWSLETTER *Frolova [sic] and Walker describe these years of relative but tightly circumscribed freedom through the great number of documents they have translated, with excellent introductions and annotations. Some of the authors of these texts are already known, but their work appears here for the first time in a Western language and shows how fiercely the battle was waged on both sides * NRC HANDELSBLAD *[T]o immerse oneself in this collection of manifestos and other cultural polemics is revealing. [...] The apparatus [...] supplies invaluable guideposts. [...] Highly recommended. * CHOICE *Enrich[es] the developing sense of how Soviet artists worked with and against the official dictates of their time, and how they responded to the incidental squabbles and long-term preoccupations with which they had to contend. * TLS *[A] subtly nuanced and painstakingly annotated account of this period unearthing a wealth of documentary information [...] The resulting narrative is extraordinarily vivid, bringing to light much significant material that alters long-established historical preconceptions. * BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE *This is an important book and one that makes compelling reading. With their careful selection and commentary, the authors have brought a level gaze to bear upon dark and difficult times in which optimism and torment seemed to alternate unpredictably. * GRAMOPHONE *Table of ContentsOctober 1917-18 Out of Chaos 1919 Depression and Fever 1920 Bureaucracy on the Rise 1921 Should I stay or should I go? 1922 Just Like the Old Days? 1923 The Birth of ASM and RAPM 1924 ASM in the Ascendant 1925 Equilibrium 1926 Guests from the West 1927 Celebrations 1928 At the Crossroads 1929 "Velikiy perelom" - "The Great Turning Point" 1930 RAPM's Glorious Year? 1931 RAPM's Fortunes Turning 1932 The Rules Change

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