Musicians, singers, bands and groups Books

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book Synopsisfor SATB chorus and orchestra This arrangement for choir and orchestra of a traditional American spiritual conjures a deep fervency, belying its simple appearance. The opening instruction is ''With hushed awe'', and that encapsulates perfectly the gentle radiance of the tender lyrics and the music''s highly singable lines.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA major figure in American blues and folk music, Big Bill Broonzy (1903-58) left his Arkansas Delta home after World War I, headed north, and became the leading Chicago bluesman of the 1930s. This book traces Big Bill's career from his rise as a nationally prominent blues star to his influential role in the post-World War II folk revival.Trade Review"Bob Riesman's account of Broonzy's career in Chicago, Paris, London, and later on the US folk circuit with Peter Seeger and others, is as dense and detailed as it is clear and straightforward.... I Feel So Good is a well-written, beautifully produced account of a life lived in performance." (Times Literary Supplement)"

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction Philip Ross Bullock Permissions and Credits Acknowledgments Note on Transliteration and Dating MOSCOW AND MODERNITY Reading the Popular Pessimist: Thought, Feeling, and Dance in Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Narrative Peter Franklin Sergei Rachmaninoff and Moscow Musical Life Rebecca Mitchell Love Triumphant: Rachmaninoff’s Eros, the Silver Age, and the Middlebrow Marina Frolova-Walker Rachmaninoff and the “Vocalise”: Word and Music in the Russian Silver Age Philip Ross Bullock THREE OPERAS Tchaikovsky’s Echoes, Chaliapin’s Sobs: Aleko, Rachmaninoff, and the Contemporary Emily Frey Rachmaninoff’s Miserly Knight (On Money, Honor, and the Means to Create) Caryl Emerson Burning for You: Rachmaninoff’s Francesca da Rimini Simon Morrison NEW WORLDS Rachmaninoff and the Celebrity Interview: A Selection of Documents from the American Press Selected and Edited by Philip Ross Bullock The Eighteenth Variation Steve Swayne “One of the Outstanding Musical Events of All Time”: The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 1939 Rachmaninoff Cycle Christopher H. Gibbs “The Case of Rachmaninoff”: The Music of a White Emigré in the USSR Marina Raku, translated by Jonathan Walker Aesthetic Ambition and Popular Taste: The Divergent Paths of Paderewski, Busoni, and Rachmaninoff Leon Botstein Index Notes on the Contributors

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Charlatans'' Tim Burgess invites you to the greatest listening party of all time. In 2020 when the world was forced to hit pause on live in-person gigs, Tim Burgess found an ingenious way to bring people together by inviting artists and bands, from Paul McCartney and New Order to Michael Kiwanuka and Kylie, to host real-time album playbacks via Twitter.Relive 100 of the most memorable listening parties here with stories from bands and fans, rarely seen backstage images, and unique insider info from those who created these iconic albums.Hey Twitter, let''s all say a big thanks to Tim for these brilliant events this year! We really needed them. So much great music being talked about.'' - Sir Paul McCartney Twitter being used for something really positive. - Mary BeardTrade Review...The Listening Party is a refreshingly different rock book, as it gained interviews that would never normally have been approved... In years to come when artefacts are gathered to represent the 2020-21 Pandemic, The Listening Party will be pride of place. * Record Collector *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNow available in paperback, William C. Banfield’s acclaimed collection of interviews delves into the lives and work of forty-one Black composers. Each of the profiled artists offers a candid self-portrait that explores areas from training and compositional techniques to working in a exclusive canon that has existed for a very long time. At the same time, Banfield draws on sociology, Western concepts of art and taste, and vernacular musical forms like blues and jazz to provide a frame for the artists’ achievements and help to illuminate the ongoing progress and struggles against industry barriers. Expanded illustrations and a new preface by the author provide invaluable added context, making this new edition an essential companion for anyone interested in Black composers or contemporary classical music. Composers featured: Michael Abels, H. Leslie Adams, Lettie Beckon Alston, Thomas J. Anderson, Dwight Andrews, Regina Harris Baiocchi, David Baker, William C. Ban?eld, YsayTrade Review"If you are intrigued by the mystery of artistic creativity, this is your book. If you want to know where these musicians believe they stand among their white peers, read on. If you are curious about how non-commercial composers and performers thrive or survive in our warped economy, there is much here to consider." --On the Seawall"Traversing a richly diverse gamut of Black culture and heritage across classical and jazz-- which many here agree is in effect ‘the classical music of America’—the crucial contribution of Black composers in and far beyond the US becomes clear. Wise, moving, and thought-provoking, it's a timely reiteration of the continued need for their wider acknowledgment." --BBC Music Magazine“A valuable guide to the repertoire.”--Times Union"While some composers are familiar (including Herbie Hancock and Bobby McFerrin), the overwhelming impression is how many unsung Black composers have contributed so much pleasure to music lovers. It’s abundantly clear their work has enriched and expanded the world’s musical palette. . . . A book that should be in every music lover’s library." --Library Journal, Starred ReviewTable of ContentsDedication Foreword Preface: Black Beethovens: Essential Conversations with American Composers In Loving Memory Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1: Laying the Foundations Part 2: The Arrived and the Acknowledged, Part 1 (1922–1936) H. Leslie Adams Thomas J. Anderson David Baker Noel DaCosta George Russell Hale Smith Frederick C. Tillis George Walker Part 3: The Arrived and the Acknowledged, Part 2 (1937–1945) Adolphus Hailstork Wendell Logan Dorothy Rudd Moore Olly Wilson Part 4: Perspectives on Spirituality, Jazz, and Contemporary Popular Languages Dwight Andrews Ysaye Maria Barnwell Billy Childs George Duke Jester Hairston Herbie Hancock Stephen Newby Michael Powell Billy Taylor Tony Williams Michael Woods Part 5: The Composer as Conductor and Composer Leslie Dunner Bobby McFerrin Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson Patrice Rushen Kevin Scott Julius Williams Part 6: Generation X and Beyond (1950–1965) Michael Abels Lettie Beckon Alston William C. Banfield Regina Harris Baiocchi Anthony Davis Donal Fox Jonathan Holland Anthony Kelley Jeffrey Mumford Gary Powell Nash Evelyn Simpson-Curenton James Kimo Williams Postlude: Extensions of the Tradition—Linkages and Canon Index About the Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe artist’s impact on country music and how his death changed the genre A beloved member of the country music community, David “Stringbean” Akeman found nationwide fame as a cast member of Hee Haw. The 1973 murder of Stringbean and his wife forever changed Nashville’s sense of itself. Millions of others mourned not only the slain couple but the passing of the way of life that country music had long represented. Taylor Hagood merges the story of Stringbean’s life with an account of murder and courtroom drama. Mentored by Uncle Dave Macon and Bill Monroe, Stringbean was a bridge to country’s early days. His instrumental savvy and old-time singing style drew upon a deep love for traditional country music that, along with his humor and humanity, won him the reverence of younger artists and made his violent death all the more shocking. Hagood delves into the unexpected questions and uneasy resolutions raised by the atmosphere of Trade Review"The story about the life of the man and the details of his life's tragic end is expertly covered in this new book. . . . After reading this book, I feel as though I got to know David "Stringbean" Akeman and his story very well. Highly recommended!" --Dan Miller, Bluegrass Unlimited“Stringbean was one of the very first friends Doolittle, my husband, and I made when we first came to Nashville in 1960. He and his wife Estelle were some of the nicest folks you could find anywhere. . . . It was heartbreaking when we lost him and his wife.”--Loretta Lynn“Stringbean and Estelle would be like your favorite aunt and uncle, or your favorite cousin. Any time we had a celebration, they were always there, and most of the time cooked for everybody. Those were precious times.”--Lulu Roman, Hee Haw star"This tale will appeal to readers curious about the formative years of the United States' country-music scene." --Library Journal"Get your orders in! You will like this book. Thanks, Taylor Hagood, for filling in so many blanks, even those you filled in from your remote closeness to the gentle and genuine spirit of Stringbean. Stringbean is still a vital part of our music. Stringbean shows us that." --Bluegrass Standard"Stringbean: The Life and Murder of a Country Legend by Talyor Hagood, not only serves to remind and establish Stringbean’s often overlooked musical legacy, but also serves as a true crime thriller with a highly detailed account of the murder and ensuing trial. Hagood expertly details Stringbean’s long career and gives new meaning to both him and his music." --Americana UK"Hagood, who writes with an appealingly loose and earnest style, has genuine affection for Stringbean. Perhaps the most moving passages are those in which Hagood reflects on the symbiotic relationship between the man and his trusty Vega No. 9 Tubaphone banjo. " --NewCity "Almost as soon as I picked up Taylor Hagood's biography of David Akeman, I knew I could put aside my instinct to find fault in order to luxuriate in a well-documented, carefully constructed combination of biography and true crime story. . . . I highly recommend this well-researched and highly readable book." --Ted Lehmann “It was always a rare treat to get to see the hat flipping, banjo picking man from ole Kentucky on the television or old video tape. Stringbean was one of my first musical heroes as a kid while learning to play the banjo. I'm very excited to get this book! I can never get enough of Ole String! Thank you, Taylor!”--Leroy Troy, Grand Ole Opry star and 1996 National Old-Time Banjo Champion "Taylor Hagood is a gifted writer, and I'm truly pleased with the book he wrote about my uncle, David Akemon."--Phillip AkemonTable of ContentsA Note on Names Prologue. Short Life and Trouble: November 11, 1973 Chapter 1. Way Back in the Hills of Old Kentucky: 1915-1935 Chapter 2. Stringbean and His Banjo: 1935-1942 Chapter 3. Goin’ to the Grand Ole Opry to Make Myself a Name: 1942-1945 Chapter 4. Big Ball in Nashville: 1945-1952 Chapter 5. Herdin’ Cattle in a Cadillac Coupe de Ville: 1953-1959 Chapter 6. Pretty Polly: 1960-1965 Chapter 7. Me and My Old Crow (Got a Good Thing Going): 1966-1973 Interlude. Goodbye Sweet Thing: Stringbean’s Final Day of Life, November 10, 1973 Chapter 8. Sinner Man, Where You Gonna Hide: November 1973, January 1974 Chapter 9. You Can’t Do Wrong and Get By: January, November 1974 Epilogue. Forgetting to Forget You: 1975-2014 Acknowledgments Notes Selected Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA biography of Ignaz Friedman that offers the reader the behind and the between of the life and career of this extraordinary pianist. It examines Friedman's life as a cultured Jewish musician in Poland; his studies in Leipzig and Vienna; his relationship with Manya Friedman; and, his performing career, teaching, and retirement in Australia.Trade ReviewAllan Evans's biography of Ignaz Friedman . . . is a beautifully written and marvelously researched book about one of the greatest piano virtuosos of the twentieth century. . . . This is a book to savor, to read and reread. April 1, 2011 * Clavier Companion *This book is a must read, above all, for those interested in Ignaz Friedman, and for those interested in the musical world of his time. September 8, 2009 * www.classicalmusicguide.com *Evans packs so much into these pages that it is not just an interesting biography but more an immersion into the entire piano world of the first half of the 20th century. The book includes a number of interesting photos; the appendixes are a rich source, meticulously documented, of Friedman's concert repertoire, recordings, compositions, and editorial work on the compositions of Frederic Chopin. This volume is a true labor of love. . . . Highly recommended.January 2010 * Choice *This distinguished study brings back to the forefront a great artist who was in danger of being forgotten. November 2009 * Gramophone *Ignaz Friedman is thoroughly researched and offers readers new insight into the life and activities of this pianistic giant.Vol. 25, 2010 * Music Research Forum *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments1. Musical Traditions That Hide in Shellac2. From Poland3. "Music begins where technique leaves off"4. 2,800 Concerts5. From Old Russia6. Encroaching Modernism7. From Beethoven to Hitler8. In Safety, Down Under9. Exile10. Chopin on the Nile11. The Piano According to Tiegerman12. The Piano According to FriedmanAppendix A: Friedman's RepertoireAppendix B: DiscographyAppendix C: Friedman's and Tiegerman's CompositionsAppendix D: Friedman's Edition of Chopin's Piano WorksNotesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of Creedence Clearwater Revival, exploring the band's legendary rise to fame and how their music embodied the cultural landscape of the late '60s and early '70sFrom 1969 to 1971, as the United States convulsed with political upheaval and transformative social movements, no band was bigger than Creedence Clearwater Revival. They managed a two-year barrage of top-10 singles and LPs that doubled as an ubiquitous soundtrack to one of the most volatile periods in modern American history, and they remain a staple of classic rock radio and films about the era. Yet despite their enduring popularity, no book has ever sought to understand Creedence in conversation with their time. A Song for Everyone finally tells that story: the thirteen-year saga of an unassuming suburban quartet's journey through the wilds of 1960s pop, and their slow accrual of a sound and ethos that were almost mystically aligned with the concerns of decade's end. Starting in middle school, these Californian friends and brothers cut a working-class path through the most expansive decade in American music, playing R&B, country, and rock 'n' roll under a variety of names as each of those genres expanded and evolved. When they finally synthesized those styles under a new name in 1968, Creedence Clearwater Revival became instantly epochal, then fell apart under the weight of personal grievances that dated back to adolescence. As musicians and as men, they embodied the contradictions and difficulties of their time, and those dimensions of their career have never been explored until now.Drawing on wide-ranging research into the social and musical developments of 1959-1972, extensive original interviews with surviving Creedence members and associates, and unpublished memoirs from people who knew the group closely, A Song for Everyone is the definitive account of a legendary and still-beloved American band. At the same time, it is also a cultural history of those same years—from Elvis to Altamont, Eisenhower to Watergate—seen through the eyes of four men who encapsulated them in song for all time, told by one of the rising figures in contemporary music writing.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume draws together a collection of Robin A. Leaver's essays on Bach's sacred music, exploring the religious aspects of this repertoire through consideration of three core themes: liturgy, hymnology, and theology. Rooted in a rich understanding of the historical sources, the book illuminates the varied ways in which Bach's sacred music was informed and shaped by the religious, ritual, and intellectual contexts of his time, placing these works in the wider history of Protestant church music during the Baroque era.Including research from across a span of forty years, the chapters in this volume have been significantly revised and expanded for this publication, with several pieces appearing in English for the first time. Together, they offer an essential compendium of the work of a leading scholar of theological Bach studies.Table of ContentsPrefacePart I Liturgy1. Bach’s Cantatas and the Liturgical Year2. Bach’s Music and the Leipzig Liturgy3. Bach’s Agnus Dei Compositions4. Bach’s Parody Process: From Cantata to Missa5. Bach and the Cantata Controversy in the Early Eighteenth CenturyPart II Hymnology6. Bach and Johann Christoph Olearius7. Bach’s Christ lag in Todesbanden (BWV 4): Hymnology and Chronology 8. Bach’s Orgelbüchlein9. Bach and the Hymnic Aria10. Bach and the Letter Codes of the Schemelli GesangbuchPart III Theology11. Bach and Pietism12. Bach, Gesner, and Johann August Ernesti13. Bach and Erdmann Neumeister14. Bach’s Clavierübung III15. Bach and Anniversaries of the ReformationBibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe definitive account of Louis Armstrong—his life and legacy—during the most creative period of his career.Trade Review"Thomas Brothers has brought together startling new discoveries and insights, a fresh look at hallowed recordings, and an understanding of the multifold influences that helped shape Louis Armstrong. In so doing, he has written by far the most complete and original look at an American icon whose influence continues into its second century." -- Loren Schoenberg, artistic director, the National Jazz Museum in Harlem"Honest, uncompromising, and wholly sympathetic to its subject, Louis Armstrong, Master of Modernism is the ideal for jazz biography and criticism." -- Scott DeVeaux, author of The Birth of Bebop: A Social and Musical History"Brothers proves his thesis and then some…an encyclopedic authority." -- C.W. Mahoney - American Spectator

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe definitive collection of lyrics from three decades of songwriting.Trade Review"Songs of Love and Horror feels significant; [Will Oldham is] able to make a connection directly, without the protective veil of a moniker. The blue annotations that accompany each lyric in the book offer his personal reflections. But as much as Oldham attempts transparency, his music, which radiates humour, tenderness, frustration and audacity, remains seductively mysterious." -- Wired"There aren't too many popular songwriters whose words can withstand being read and scrutinised as poetry. Oldham's not only stand up, but stripped of their melodic context, offer different insights... Honest, wry, confessional, occasionally harrowing and frequently laugh-out-loud funny, Oldham's lyrics make for enjoyable and illuminating reading." -- fRoots"His [Will Oldham's] book was more fascinating for me because I knew fewer of the songs." -- Jude Rogers - New Statesman

Read more less

Book SynopsisCreative Music Composition is designed to be an introductory textbook for music students. Creative composition-composing in your own style, rather than in the style of a composer of the past-is embraced by music educators not only for composition students, but for beginning performers and music educators, and is often offered to all music students and non-music majors who wish to enhance their musical creativity. With 25 years of experience teaching fledgling composers, the author tackles the key ingredients that make for successful composition, including: stimulus to the musical imagination; discussion of a variety of current musical languages; analysis of many examples from contemporary scores; technical exercises; suggestions as to how to start a composition; structures; and examinations of works from particular genres. Wilkins covers several musical languages, from folk and popular to serialism; analyses various rhythmic forms; suggests approaches for composing for a variety of instruments, from traditional to electronic ones, as well as for the human voice; addresses the nuts and bolts of score preparation; and offers career advice. For all composition students-and for music students in general-Creative Music Composition offers a clear and concise introduction that will enable them to reach their personal goals.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements. Introduction. Glossary of Terms. 1. Young Composers and a Creative Environment. 2. Concepts of the Imagination 3. Structures 4. Musical Languages 5. Technical Exercises 6. Exploring Instruments 7. Composing for Traditional Ensembles 8. Composing for Voices 9. Composing for a Monodic Instrument 10. Moving Ahead. Music Examples. Contents of the CD. Bibliography. Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsMY KZ, UR BF; Qwerty Finger; Schoolin'; Leave The Engine Room; Final Form; Photoshop Handsome; Two For Nero; Suffragette Suffragette; Come Alive Diana; NASA Is On Your Side; Tin (The Manhole); Weights; Hiawatha Doomed; Wizard Talk; Luddites And Lambs; DNA Dump!; Making Some New Sense; Riot On The Ward; Cough Cough; Kemosabe; Torso Of The Week; Duet; Choice Mountain; Feet For Hands; Undrowned; Arc; Armourland; The House Is Dust; Radiant; The Peaks; Don't Try; Awe/Arc; No Plan; Justice; Distrikt!; A.D.; Treasure Set ; Pendolino; To The Blade; Distant Past; Get To Heaven; Regret; Spring / Sun / Winter / Dread; The Wheel Is Turning Now; Fortune 500; Blast Doors; Zero Pharaoh; No Reptiles; Warm Healer; We Sleep In Pairs; Hapsburg Lipp; President Heartbeat; Brainchild; Yuppie Supper; Only As Good As My God; Pressure; Magnetophone; Live Intro; I Believe It Now; Night Of The Long Knives; Can't Do; Desire; Big Game; Good Shot, Good Soldier; Run The Numbers; Put Me Together; A Fever Dream; Ivory Tower; New Deep ; White Whale; Breadwinner; The Mariana; Lost Powers; Big Climb; It Was A Monstering; Planets; Moonlight; Arch Enemy; Lord Of The Trapdoor; Black Hyena; In Birdsong; The Actor; Violent Sun; Supernormal; Mercury & Me; Teletype; I Want A Love Like This; Bad Friday; Pizza Boy; Jennifer; Metroland Is Burning; Leviathan; Shark Week; Cut Up!; Hex; My Computer; Kevin's Car; Born Under A Meteor; Software Greatman

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA candid, fascinating memoir from celebrated singer-songwriter and social activist Ani DiFranco.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom humble beginnings in County Donegal in Ireland to worldwide recording success, Daniel O''Donnell recounts the incredible story of his life, charting the ups and downs with remarkable honesty.Through wonderful anecdotes, Daniel recalls his early years and the moment he set his heart on becoming a singer, and gives a personal acount of his speading popularity and subsequent perfomances all over the world. With distinctive charm and modesty, he takes us behind the scenes of his phenomenal professional success, providing unique access to the man behind the hits and headlines.A bestseller when it was first published, Daniel O''Donnell: My Story has been fully revised and updated with a wealth of brand new material. for the first time Danel gives an intimate account of his romance and high-profile wedding to Majella McLennan as well as his deeply personal observations on worldwide success and his recent breathrough to stardom in the USA.Trade ReviewGripping and entertaining. * Sunday World *Ireland's number-one statesman. * Irish Post *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen George Klein was thirteen, he couldn''t have known how important the new kid in class - the one with the guitar, the boy named Elvis - would become in his life. But from the first time GK (as he was nicknamed by Elvis) heard this kid sing, he knew that Elvis Presley was someone extraordinary. In this heartfelt, entertaining and affectionate memoir, George Klein writes candidly about their close friendship, which began at school and continued through Elvis''s rise to fame and the wild swirl of his tumultuous life, right up to the singer''s tragic death. Writing with the authority of someone who was in the midst of it all, from the good times at Graceland and hanging out with Hollywood stars to butting heads with Elvis''s iron-handed manager, Colonel Tom Parker, GK reveals who the King really was and how he acted when the stage lights were off. Full of anecdotes and first-hand accounts of some of the most defining moments in the legend''s life, Elvis: My Best Man cTrade ReviewGK was there from the beginning, and there 'til the end. This book is fact. * Jerry Lee Lewis *This memoir has the authentic twang of someone who was really there to see it all...If you like Presley, you'll love this book -- Mike Simkins * Daily Mail *

Read more less

Book SynopsisElton John celebrates the rock icon's incredible career and art in a beautifully produced retrospective examining key achievements and life events.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe contradictions between Wagner's antipathy toward the amorphous entity ""The Jews"" and his genuine friendships with individual Jews, are the subject of this book. Drawing on sources, including his autobiography and the diaries of his second wife, this book places Wagner's anti - Semitism in perspective with his life and work.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

He was jazz''s first hipster. He performed in sunglasses and coined and popularized phrases like that''s cool and you dig? He always wore a suit and his trademark porkpie hat. He influenced everyone from B. B. King to Stan Getz to Allen Ginsberg, creating a lyrical style of playing that forever changed the sound of the tenor saxophone.In this groundbreaking biography of Lester Young (1909-1959), historian Douglas Daniels brings to life the man and his world, and corrects a number of misconceptions. Even though others have identified Young as a Kansas City musician, Daniels traces his roots to the blues of Louisiana and his early years traveling with his father''s band and the legendary Oklahoma City Blue Devils. Later we see the jazz culture of New York in the early 1940s, when Young was launched to national and international fame with the Count Basie Orchestra and began to accompany his close friend Billie Holiday. After a year spent in an Army prison on a conviction for marij

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A must have for Dylan enthusiasts, lovers of London, and anyone with even a passing interest in the history of music. I devoured it in two sittings - and I loved it!' Conor McPherson, playwright, Girl from the North CountryTrade Review'Meticulously researched and packed with delicious detail, this highly enjoyable book reveals both Bob Dylan and London in all of their compelling originality. With wry observation and entertaining incident, this is the story of Dylan's earliest visits to London as an unknown folk singer, crashing in friends' bedsits, right through to his sell-out concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and Earls Court.' Conor McPherson, playwright, Girl from the North Country

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book is a music-theoretical and critical-theoretical study of late tonal music, and, in particular, of the music of Wagner's Götterdämmerung.First, in terms of music theory, it proposes a new theory of tonal function that returns to the theories of Hugo Riemann to rediscover a development of his thought that has been covered over by the recent project of neo-Riemannian theory. Second, in terms of its philosophical approach, it reawakens the critical-theoretical examination of the relation between music and the late capitalist society that is sedimented in the musical materials themselves, and which the music, in turn, subjects to aesthetically embodied critique. The music, the theory, and the listeners and critics who respond to them are all radically reimagined.This book will be of interest to professional music theorists, undergraduates, and technically inclined musicians and listeners, that is, anyone who is fascinated by the chromatic magic of late-nineTable of Contents1. Riemannian Theory and the Problem of Chromatic Function 2. Waltraute’s Plaint: Riemannian Tonal Function and Dramatic Narrative 3. Two Nineteenth-Century Examples of Hexatonic-Diatonic Tonal Function 4. The Multiple Lives of Seventh Chords 5. ‘Here Time Becomes Space’: Schenkerising Riemann/Riemannising Schenker

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book develops ways of discussing musical practices to articulate a new approach to understanding connections between recordings, singers, and singing. Centred around materials from the mid-twentieth century, this book focuses on a time when composers and performers were questioning the idea of authorship within their musical practice. Materials drawn upon include recordings, scores, archival content, visual art, interviews, and liner notes to develop a rich conception of practices of performance. Analysis of performances include recordings of singers such as Cathy Berberian, Linda Hirst, Loré Lixenberg, Angelika Luz, and Meredith Monk. Compositions by Cathy Berberian, Luciano Berio, John Cage, and Manuel De Falla are considered. The book utilizes these sources to examine the collective way in which singers and composers form practices as multiple, transforming, emergent, and not hierarchical. The book articulates with a detailed, close consideration of specific iTable of Contents1. Introduction 2. Performing Transformations (a risky approach) 3. Transforming Black Square 4. Transforming Fictions 5. Transforming scores, stable performances: Cathy Berberian, Stripsody and Pop art. 6. Transforming analytical assumptions: What is Sequenza III? 7. Epilogue

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIgor Stravinsky's strikingly original compositions continue to fascinate scholars and music-lovers across the globe. This volume brings together a collection of 35 short, specially commissioned essays that illuminate the varied contexts from which emerged Stravinsky's impressive catalogue of innovative and richly creative music.Trade Review'a fascinating read for more-seasoned musicians … Recommended.' M. Neil, Choice ConnectTable of ContentsPreface; List of Contributors; List of Abbreviations; Part I. Russia and Identity: 1. Memory and truth: Stravinsky's childhood (1882-1901) Catriona Kelly; 2. Religion, life and death in St Petersburg Natalia Braginskaya; 3. Kashperova and Stravinsky: the making of a concert-pianist Graham Griffiths; 4. Reminiscences of Rimsky-Korsakov, his family and artistic circle Lidia Ader; 5. Orthodoxies and unorthodoxies: Stravinsky's spiritual journey Ivan Moody; 6. The Russian soul Rowan Williams; Part II. Stravinsky and Europe: 7. Sergei Diaghilev and Stravinsky: from world of art to ballets russes John E. Bowlt; 8. Paris and the Belle Époque Davinia Caddy; 9. Paris, Art Deco, and the spirit of Apollo Jonathan Cross; 10. Stravinsky's Spain: fan or mirror? Graham Griffiths; 11. 'It is Venice that he loves…' Mauricio Dottori; Part III. Partnerships and Authorship: 12. Stravinsky's sphere of influence: Paris and beyond Inessa Bazayev; 13. Stravinsky and his literary collaborators Maureen Carr; 14. Assuming co-authorship: Stravinsky and his 'ghost-writers' Valérie Dufour; 15. Nadia Boulanger and Stravinsky: the transition to America Kimberly Francis; 16. Conversations with Craft Anna Schmidtmann; Part IV. Performance and Performers: 17. Challenges to realism and tradition: Stravinsky's modernist theatre Massimiliano Locanto; 18. Igor Stravinsky and ballet as modernism Stephanie Jordan; 19. Stravinsky's ear for instruments Chris Dromey; 20. Towards a conductor-proof ideal Hannah Baxter; 21. The pianist in the recording studio: re-imagining interpretation Daniel Barolsky; 22. The legacy of Stravinsky as recorded history Per Dahl; Part V. Aesthetics and Politics: 23. Stravinsky versus literature Emily Frey; 24. Stravinsky and Greek antiquity Katerina Levidou; 25. Stravinsky's response to 'Japonisme' Mai Ikehara; 26. Stravinsky, modernism and mass culture Ross Cole; 27. Perspectives on Schoenberg and Stravinsky: Adorno and others Alan Street; 28. Stravinsky's 'problematical' political orientation during the 1920s and 1930s Erik Levi; Part VI. Reception and Legacy: 29. The Apollonian clockwork re-wound Elmer Schönberger; 30. Stravinsky reception in the USSR Philip Ewell; 31. The Stravinsky/Craft conversations in Russian and their reception Olga Manulkina; 32. Publishing Stravinsky Nigel Simeone; 33.Copyright, the Stravinsky estate, and the Paul Sacher foundation Heidy Zimmermann; 34. Evoking the past, inspiring the future Lynne Rogers; 35. 'Music is, by its very essence, powerless to express anything at all' Daniel K L Chua; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis Element focuses on Vienna, and an important era in the culture of arrangements in which they were widely and variously cultivated, and in which canon formation and the conception of musical works underwent crucial development. Musical arrangements have shaped the social, musical, and ideological landscape in this era to a great degree.Table of Contents1. The idea of arrangement; 2. From stage to salon in Vienna c.1800; 3. Repackaging the classical symphony; 4. Rearranging Mozart's operas; 5. Arrangement history around 1850: losing touch.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe author is a drummer with experience in a variety of musical genres and contexts, with emphasis on rock and related styles. This auto ethnographic Element presents the author''s philosophy of playing drum kit. The text explains how playing drum kit matters to this musician and may resonate with others to whom making music matters in similar ways. The Element contains audio files of music in which the author plays drum kit in the ensemble settings described. There are photos of the author''s drums and of him drumming. Based on June Boyce-Tillman''s non-religious model of holistic spirituality and Tim Ingold''s notion of correspondences, the author describes how playing drum kit enables him to experience transcendence the magical nexus at which Materials, Construction, Values/Culture and Expression meet. Each of these domains, and the magic derived from their combination, is illustrated through examples of the author''s live and recorded musical collaborations.Table of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Materials; 3. Construction; 4. Values /culture; 5. Expression; 6. In closing (button); References.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''David Katz''s in-depth portrayal of his genius is to be commended and is an essential addition to any serious music fan''s collection'' David Rodigan MBE OD''For the complete picture of this musical genius you can''t get better than David Katz''s People Funny Boy - if you''re into Scratch, it''s essential'' Don LettsArguably the most influential force in Jamaican music, Lee Perry brought Bob Marley to international stardom and has since collaborated with artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, The Clash and The Beastie Boys. The book delves behind the myth of Perry to give a fuller examination of his life and work through extensive interviews with family members, fellow artists, friends, lovers, enemies, as well as the man himself to present a complex portrait of a unique soul driven by unseen spiritual forces. This revised and expanded edition has been thoroughly updated and completely overhauled to render a more nuanced, accurate and accessible read, wiTrade ReviewLee Perry was one of Reggae's most enigmatic creators; an incomparable phenomenon who's sonic sound waves transformed out lives. David Katz's in-depth portrayal of his genius is to be commended and is an essential addition to any serious music fan's collection -- David Rodigan MBE ODLee 'Scratch' Perry blew my 13 year old mind back in '69 with a track called 'Tackro'. From that time till this the surreal sonic adventures of Jamaica's Salvador Dali of sound have been an essential part of my life. For the complete picture of this musical genius you can't get better than David Katz's People Funny Boy - if you're into Scratch, it's essential -- Don LettsLee Perry's importance in the reggae sphere is that he nurtured much Jamaican roots talent, including Bob Marley and his backing musicians. His legacy contains some of the finest reggae recordings known to appreciators of the genre. People should read this book to discover more -- Dennis BovellA biography that, in many ways, is the story of an entire musical genre . . . If his story is not the greatest ever told, then it is certainly one of the most entertaining, and Katz duly relates many of the more lunatic anecdotes . . . Seldom less than definitive * Q *Going beyond the standard portrait . . . Katz offers up a vast tome that works as a psychological portrait of a complex artist, and a fascinating history of post-war Jamaican music and culture . . . Marvellous stuff * Mojo *An exhaustive, brilliantly researched and well-written biography . . . Every recording and motivation is detailed, along with his legion of eccentricities . . . A very good tale * NME *[Katz's] perseverance has paid off, creating a detailed portrait wide enough in focus to take in all the people around Perry - nearly the whole of the Jamaican scene . . . This book is especially strong on the music, guiding us through the minefield of his enormous output from the Sixties and Seventies * The Times *Everything in Katz's biography is well documented . . . Fascinating . . . A must-read for the legion of Jamaican music fans world-wide * Independent on Sunday *Thoroughly engrossing -- Martin Chilton * INDEPENDENT *This weighty, in depth and definitive tome is not to be passed up. * ELECTRONIC SOUND *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Jazz Masters: Setting the Record Straight features twenty-one conversations with musicians who have had at least fifty years of professional experience, and several as many as seventy-five. In all, these voices reflect some seventeen hundred years'' worth of paying dues. Appealing to casual fans and jazz aficionados alike, these interviews have been carefully, but minimally edited by Peter Zimmerman for sense and clarity, without changing any of the musicians'' actual words. Five of the interviewees--Dick Hyman, Jimmy Owens, Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry, and Yusef Lateef--have received the National Endowment for the Arts'' prestigious Jazz Masters Fellowship, attesting to their importance and ability. While not official masters, the rest are veteran performers willing to share their experiences and knowledge. Artists such as David Amram, Charles Davis, Clifford Jordan, Valery Ponomarev, and Sandy Stewart, to name a few, open their hearts and memories and reveal who they a

Read more less

Book SynopsisCompositional Choices and Meaning in the Vocal Music of J. S. Bach collects seventeen essays by leading Bach scholars. The authors each address in some way such questions of meaning in J. S. Bach's vocal compositionsincluding his Passions, Masses, Magnificat, and cantataswith particular attention to how such meaning arises out of the intentionality of Bach's own compositional choices or (in Part IV in particular) how meaning is discovered, and created, through the reception of Bach's vocal works. And the authors do not consider such compositional choices in a vacuum, but rather discuss Bach's artistic intentions within the framework of broader cultural trendssocial, historical, theological, musical, etc. Such questions of compositional choice and meaning frame the four primary approaches to Bach's vocal music taken by the authors in this volume, as seen across the book's four parts: Part I: How might the study of historical theology inform our understanding of Bach's compositionaTrade ReviewDon Franklin is a preeminent Bach scholar, and this volume of enlightening case studies on meaning in Bach’s vocal music by his colleagues and former students is a marvelous tribute that does both Franklin and Bach a signal honor. -- Michael Marissen, author of Bach & GodAn admirable set of essays about an important body of music. Taken together, this collection significantly advances scholarly discourse about the vocal works of J. S. Bach. -- Stephen Crist, Emory UniversityTable of ContentsSeries Editor ForewordRobin A. LeaverPrefaceMark A. Peters and Reginald L. Sanders Paragram for Professor Dr. Don O. FranklinRuth TatlowPart I: Bach’s Vocal Music in Theological Context1. In Honor of God and the City: Strategies of Theological and Symbolic Communication in Bach’s Cantata Gott ist mein König (BWV 71)Markus Rathey2. Two “Johannine” Cantatas: Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes (BWV 40) and Sehet, welch eine Liebe (BWV 64)Eric Chafe3. Death to Life, Sorrow to Joy: Martin Luther’s Theology of the Cross and J. S. Bach’s Eastertide Cantata Ihr werdet weinen und heulen (BWV 103)Mark A. Peters4. Toward an Understanding of J. S. Bach’s Use of Red Ink in the Autograph Score of the Matthew PassionMary Greer5. The Theological in Bach Research (2007)Martin PetzoldtPart II: Analytical Perspectives6. Formal and Motivic Design in the Opening Chorus of J. S. Bach’s MagnificatReginald L. Sanders7. The Tonally Open Ritornello in J. S. Bach’s Church CantatasKayoung Lee8. The Christian Believer and the Sleep of Jesus: “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein” from J. S. Bach’s Matthew PassionWye J. Allanbrook Part III: Bach’s Self-Modeling: Parody as Compositional Impetus9. Parody and Text Quality in the Vocal Works of J. S. BachHans-Joachim Schulze10. J. S. Bach’s Parodies of Vocal Music: Conservation or Intensification?Robin A. Leaver11. J. S. Bach’s Dresden Trip and His Earliest Serenatas for KöthenGregory Butler12. Bach’s Second Thoughts on the Christmas Oratorio: The Compositional Revisions to “Bereite dich, Zion,” BWV 248/4Steven Saunders13. The Passions as a Source of Inspiration? A Hypothesis on the Origin and Musical Aim of Well-Tempered Clavier IIYo TomitaPart IV: The Reception of Bach’s Vocal Works14. The Leipzig Audiences of J. S. Bach’s Matthew Passion to 1750Tanya Kevorkian15. The Vocal Music of the Bach Family in Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: The Complete WorksJason B. Grant16. The Need for a New Music: J. S. Bach in Contemporary Context (1946)William H. Scheide17. Bach at the Boundaries of Music History: Preliminary Thoughts on the B-minor Mass and the Late Style ParadigmRobert L. MarshallAbout the Authors

Read more less

Book SynopsisWelsh post-punk band Young Marble Giants released one LP in 1980 and then, like their vanishing portraits on the album's cover, disappeared. Even though Colossal Youth received positive reviews and sold surprisingly well, Young Marble Giants quickly slid into the margins of rock ''n'' roll historyrelegated to cult status among post-punk and indie rock fans. Their lasting appeal owes itself to the band's singular approach and response to punk rock. Instead of employing overt political ideology and abrasive sounds to rebel against the status quo, Young Marble Giants filled their songs with restraint, ambiguity, and silence. The trio opened up their music to new sounds and ideas that redefined punk's rules of rebellion.Where did their rebellious ideas and impulses come from? By tracing Colossal Youth's artistic origins from Ancient Greece to the 20th-century avant-garde, Michael Blair and Joe Bucciero uncover the intricacies of Young Marble Giants' idiosyncratic take on musiTrade ReviewFans of this album – and it is a great one – should find something to chew on here. * Buzz Magazine *Table of ContentsTrack Listing Acknowledgements 1. For You are Movement… 2. Eaten Out of House and Home 3. Everything Comes from Chaos 4. Showing the Way to Go 5. The World is Not You 6. Let’s Be a Tree 7. Don’t Label Me 8. Sit at Home and Watch the Tube 9. No Rain Outside 10. Blind as the Fate Decrees 11. The Editors Agree 12. They Were Good, They Were Young 13. ...and That is Nothing Bibliography Endnotes

Read more less

Book SynopsisAndrew Barker is a Senior Features Writer for Variety.Trade ReviewThe book traces the album’s fitful creation through its release, and shows how five guys who were never as good apart as they were together could shine so bright on a single album. * Vinyl Me, Please *Barker's journalistic study offers a vivid insight into how five hip-hop everymen came to make one of the genre's defining works. * Record Collector *Table of ContentsTrack Listing Interlude: 4 Better and 4 Worse Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Interlude: If I Were President Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Interlude: Quinton’s Here Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Interlude: The Pipe Chapter Fifteen Acknowledgements Works Cited

Read more less

Book SynopsisSin Documentos is a landmark album in Spanish popular culture and continues to maintain considerable popularity more than two decades after its release. The characteristic guitar riff of the title song, a kind of rumba-rock, still occupies a place at every party in Spain. Los Rodríguez's success came after a decadecharacterized by the rise and fall of local-language punk and new wave bands. By the time Sin Documentos appeared, however, rock journalism was fascinated by the thriving indie scene, where the bands were singing in English and had turned to grunge and noise rock.This book evaluates the influence of Latin American pop-rock in the modernization of Spanish popular music from the 1950s, despite the Anglophilia of Spanish rock scenes, especially in the 1990s. Through interviews with members of the band and members of the record label DRO, analysis of the media coverage of the album anda cultural analysis of its meanings, it delves into the cultural trends of Spain tTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Sin Documentos 2. Mi Rock Perdido 3. Pequño Salto Mortal Conclusions References Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisRegurgitator's second full-length album, Unit (1997), was produced in a DIY warehouse studio at a time when this was unusual for a major label band. The album went three times Platinum in Australia and won five esteemed ARIA Awards in 1998, including Album of the Year. The album's success is indicative of a particular point in time in popular music trends, when the world was recovering from the impact of grunge and post-grunge bands. Regurgitator's subversive attitude toward pop music, punk aesthetic, unique lyrical narratives and an ironic view on their own creative product made their music potent in an alternative market defying the prevailing music trends. Unit and Regurgitator were the focus of divisive critical reviews, yet they continue to rank highly as a quintessentially Australian band. This volume situates the development of Unit amongst the DIY culture of a politically charged Brisbane scene, and breaks down the album through the lens of recording and soTable of ContentsList of Permissions Acknowledgments About the Authors Unit Track Listing Preface Introduction 1. Alternative Nation 2. The Dirty Room 3.Phase One 4. Phase Two 5. Phase Three Conclusion Glossary References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisHenry Johnson is Professor of music at the University of Otago, New Zealand. His books include Many Voices: Music and National Identity in Aotearoa/New Zealand (2010); Global Glam (2016); Migration, Education and Translation (2020); and Nenes' Koza Dabasa (Bloomsbury, 2021). He is Associate Director of the Centre for Global Migrations.Trade ReviewA "must have" book for your library. * DustyShelves Book Reviews and BookBits *Table of ContentsList of Figures 1. Introduction 1.1. Introduction 1.2. Bic Runga: A Short Biography 1.3. Focus 1.4. Structure 1.5. Summary 2. Break 2.1. Introduction 2.2. Rockquest 2.3. Drive EP 2.4. Music Awards 2.5. Case Study: “Drive” 2.6. Summary 3. Drive and Beyond 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Musical Output 3.3. Style and Production 3.4. Case Study: “Bursting Through” 3.5. Summary 4. Identity 4.1. Introduction 4.2. Ethnicity 4.3. Gender 4.4. Case Study: “Sway” 4.5. Summary 5. Performance 5.1. Introduction 5.2. National Scene 5.3. International Scene 5.4. Case Studies: “Suddenly Strange” and “Roll Into One” 5.5. Summary 6. Conclusion References Acknowledgments Appendix 1: Drive: Track Listing and Personnel Appendix 2: Bic Runga: Discography (New Zealand Album Releases) Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom his early work with The Birthday Party to the future sounds of Ghosteen, Nick Cave has rewritten the language of rock ‘n’ roll.Darker with the Dawn uncovers the history and deeper meanings behind Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ most well-known songs from “Tupelo”, “The Mercy Seat”, “Red Right Hand”, “Stagger Lee”, “Into My Arms”, to “Higgs Boson Blues” and beyond. The book explores Nick Cave’s life in music drawing upon his inspirations of the Bible, Greek myth, and literature, as well as his enduring passion for gospel, blues, and progressive rock. Steiner reflects upon Cave's journey from his childhood in Australia, struggles with drug addiction, his young fascination with the nightmare landscapes of America's wild west and the southern gothic towards a reckoning with his own sense of Christian spirituality. In a career spanning four decades Cave's songwriting has moved from the saints and sinners of the traditional murder ballad to piano-based heartbreak songs, deconstructed garage rock and ambient fever dreams delivered through minimalist electronica. Adam Steiner dives into the world of a complex songwriter who, in his universal expressions of love and death, continues to speak to us of the light and shade of humanity.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCarter and Ralph Stanley--the Stanley Brothers--are comparable to Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs as important members of the earliest generation of bluegrass musicians. In this first biography of the brothers, author David W. Johnson documents that Carter (1925-1966) and Ralph (b. 1927) were equally important contributors to the tradition of old-time country music. Together from 1946 to 1966, the Stanley Brothers began their careers performing in the schoolhouses of southwestern Virginia and expanded their popularity to the concert halls of Europe. In order to re-create this post-World War II journey through the changing landscape of American music, the author interviewed Ralph Stanley, the family of Carter Stanley, former members of the Clinch Mountain Boys, and dozens of musicians and friends who knew the Stanley Brothers as musicians and men. The late Mike Seeger allowed Johnson to use his invaluable 1966 interviews with the brothers. Notable old-time country and bluegrass musicians such as George Shuffler, Lester Woodie, Larry Sparks, and the late Wade Mainer shared their recollections of Carter and Ralph. Lonesome Melodies begins and ends in the mountains of southwestern Virginia. Carter and Ralph were born there and had an early publicity photograph taken at the Cumberland Gap. In December 1966, pallbearers walked up Smith Ridge to bring Carter to his final resting place. In the intervening years, the brothers performed thousands of in-person and radio shows, recorded hundreds of songs and tunes for half a dozen record labels, and tried to keep pace with changing times while remaining true to the spirit of old-time country music. As a result of their accomplishments, they have become a standard of musical authenticity.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLed by the iconic frontman Robert Smith, the Cure remain one of the most beloved and influential bands in the history of alternative rock. Thanks in part to classic singles like "Just Like Heaven," "Boys Don't Cry," "Lovesong," "In Between Days," and many others, the Cure have sold millions of records worldwide and have performed in front of countless fans in every corner of the globe. Albums like Disintegration, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, and The Head on the Door are universally hailed as landmarks of the genre. For the first time, The Cure FAQ covers the band's forty-plus year career while offering fresh insight into each song in the Cure's vast canon. Each album is dissected and reviewed with candid commentary and extensive research. With their March 2019 entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame firmly establishing the Cure's place in the musical stratosphere, the timing for a career overview is perfect and The Cure FAQ delivers.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCourtney Love has never been less than notorious. Her intelligence, ambition and appetite for confrontation have made her a target in a music industry still dominated by men. As Kurt Cobain's wife she was derided as an opportunistic groupie; as his widow she is pitied, and scorned, as the madwoman in rock's attic. Yet Hole's second album, Live Through This, awoke a feminist consciousness in a generation of young listeners. Live Through This arrived in 1994, at a tumultuous point in the history of American music. Three years earlier Nirvana's Nevermind had broken open the punk underground, and the first issue of a zine called Riot Grrrl had been published. Hole were of this context and yet outside of it: too famous for the strict punk ethics of riotgrrrl, too explicitly feminist to be the world's biggest rock band. Live Through This is an album about girlhood and motherhood; desire and disgust; self-destruction and survival. There have been few rock albums before or since so intimately concerned with female experience. It is an album that changed lives – so why is Courtney Love’s achievement as a songwriter and musician still not taken seriously, two decades on?Trade ReviewWhile many may not admit to it immediately, it's probably a safe bet that your average rock fan from the ’90s keeps Hole's Live Through This in their collection. And why not? … The immensely successful 33 1/3 series from Bloomsbury examines the album track-by-track through the eyes of writer Anwen Crawford (The Monthly), giving both a historical frame of mind to the album, as well as deconstructing the themes behind seven tracks … If you haven't had a chance to experience this album, give it a listen, then give this book a read, and then give the album a second shot … it will definitely give you an appreciation for what Hole was trying to make and the impact they had on grunge. -- Gavin Sheehan * SLUG Magazine *Crawford's book in the 33 1/3 series about Hole's Live Through This is passionate, thoughtful, empathetic and well-argued, an explanation of what the album meant to smart suburban teenagers trying to figure out where they fit into the world. -- Tim Byron * The Vine *This book made me care about an artist I had long ago written off. Yes, Courtney Love has pretty much retired from making meaningful music, but for Anwen Crawford, an Australian journalist and critic, that only makes Hole’s 1994 album Live Through This all the more compelling. As she chronicles the decisions that produced the band’s grunge-era breakthrough—which was released just days after Kurt Cobain’s suicide—Crawford writes movingly about the effect these songs had on herself and on other women around the world … In that regard, the album’s anger and ferocious self-determination haven’t diminished in two decades. -- Stephen M. Deusner * Pitchfork *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements 1. Violet 2. Miss World 3. Asking for It 4. Credit in the Straight World 5. Softer, Softest 6. I Think That I Would Die 7. Rock Star Notes Bibliography

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe story of a brief music career, 'Your Secrets Are Safe With Me' is much more a narrative of the quest for meaning. At once funny and sad, poignant and absurd, it is not the exploration of one life. Rather, it marks the convergence of many lives linked by music--lives that became intertwined on a journey to discover what it means to be human. For most, the end of the journey came much too soon. It is left to the one who remains to speak for those who can no longer speak for themselves, to express gratitude for all they gave and love for all they were, to show that their lives mattered, to insist that they not be forgotten, and, finally, to recall the music that they made together. 

Read more less

Book SynopsisWas John Lennon meeting Paul McCartney more significant than John Lennon meeting Yoko Ono? Rubber Soul or Revolver? Which Wings album was Paul McCartney’s solo pinnacle?In 100 brief chapters, John M. Borack discusses and ranks the greatest moments in Beatles history. An avid Fab Four fan since childhood and a music journalist for more than thirty-five years, Borack has created a book to agree with and disagree with, and one that is sure to spark conversations. A love letter to the greatest rock band of all time, The Beatles 100 is a book for Beatles buffs and casual fans alike.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first study to explore the crucial influence of Kurt Weill on operas and musicals by Marc Blitzstein and Leonard Bernstein. Theodor Adorno famously proclaimed that the model of Kurt Weill could not be repeated. Yet Weill's stage works set an inescapable precedent for composers on both sides of the Atlantic. Rebecca Schmid explores how Weill's formal innovations in particular laid the groundwork for operas and musicals by Marc Blitzstein and Leonard Bernstein, although both composers resisted or downplayed his aesthetic contribution to American tradition. Comparative analysis based on Harold Bloom's Anxiety of Influence and other modes of intertextuality reveals that the principles of Weill's opera reform would catalyze an indigenous movement in sophisticated, socially engaged music theatre. Weill, Blitzstein, and Bernstein: A Study of Influence focuses on works that represent different phases of Weill's mission to renew the genre of opera, evolving from Die Dreigroschenoper to the musical play Lady in the Dark and the Broadway Opera Street Scene. Blitzstein and Bernstein in turn defied formal boundaries with The Cradle Will Rock, Regina, Trouble in Tahiti, Candide, and West Side Story - part of a short-lived movement in mid-twentieth century America that coincided with a renaissance for Weill's German-period works following the premiere of Blitzstein's translation, The Threepenny Opera, under Bernstein's baton. The unpublished A Pray by Blecht, for which Bernstein rejoined Stephen Sondheim and Jerome Robbins, his collaborators on West Side Story, deepens the connection of Bernstein's aesthetic to Weill.Trade ReviewSchmid traces the tutelage of Blitzstein to Bernstein and back to Weill through performance anecdotes, personal letters, and documentation by previous researchers. Schmid's research is sound [and] the book is full of diverting production history and insights into the lives and minds of the three composers and their close circles. * The New England Theatre Geek *Deserves a warm welcome from anybody with an interest in the emergence of 'serious' Broadway shows after the Second World War. Weill's fundamental role in this is explored thoroughly, and the significance of his influence is brought into the light for the first time. This really is a fine read. A fascinating and original study. * Gramophone *Sheds considerable light on a fascinating subject and is well worth reading [since] Schmid writes so well. * SOUNDWORDSIGHT: AN ARTS MAGAZINE *Schmid's comprehensive archival research and revealing musical analysis offer new perspectives to support the many ways in which the "spectre of Weill" hovers gently over American opera. * KURT WEILL NEWSLETTER *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Why Influence? 2 "Have You Seen My New Opera?" 3 "Something Like Opera" 4 "Make Our Garden Grow 5 "This Isn't Worth drei Groschen" 6 A Pray by Blecht 7 "The Saga of Lenny" Epilogue Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first feminist analysis of some of the most performed works in the American-opera canon, emphasizing the voices and perspectives of the sopranos who brought these operas to life. In the 1950s, composers and librettists in the United States were busy seeking to create an opera repertory that would be deeply responsive to American culture and American concerns. They did not break free, however, of the age-old paradigm so typically expressed in European opera: that is, of women as either saintly and pure or sexually corrupt, with no middle ground. As a result, in American opera of the 1950s, women risked becoming once again opera's inevitable victims. Yet the sopranos who were tasked with portraying these paragons of virtue and their opposites did not always take them as their composers and librettists made them. Sometimes they rewrote, through their performances, the roles they had been assigned. Sometimes they used their lived experiences to invest greater authenticity in the roles. With chapters on The Tender Land, Susannah, The Ballad of Baby Doe, and Lizzie Borden, this book analyzes some of the most performed yet understudied works in the American-opera canon. It acknowledges Catherine Clément's famous description of opera as "the undoing of women," while at the same time illuminating how singers like Beverly Sills and Phyllis Curtin worked to resist such undoing, years before the official resurgence of the American feminist movement. In short, they ended up helping to dismantle powerful gendered stereotypes that had often reigned unquestioned in opera houses until then.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1 American Opera at Midcentury Chapter 2 A Conniving Gold Digger: Elizabeth "Baby Doe" Tabor Chapter 3 A "Really Vicious Monster": Lizzie Andrew Borden Chapter 4 A Chaste White Woman: Laurie Moss Chapter 5 A Dangerous Jezebel: Susannah Polk Epilogue "The World So Wide": Beyond the Virgin or the Whore in the Twenty-First Century Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less