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Book SynopsisChristopher Fifield's remarkable study explores the personality, life and work of a conductor who influenced and inspired the leading composers, singers and instrumentalists of his day. The Austro-Hungarian Hans Richter (1843-1916) was the first career-conductor to gain international fame. His first appointment was to Budapest, and he went on to dominate music-making in Vienna, Bayreuth, London, Manchester (withthe Hallé Orchestra) and other towns and cities in Britain and Europe between 1865 and 1912. Richter gave first performances of works by Wagner, Brahms, Elgar, Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, Stanford and Parry and helped to further the careers of Dvorák, Sibelius, Bartók and Glazunov. Christopher Fifield's remarkable study explores the personality, life and work of a conductor who influenced and inspired the leading composers, singers and instrumentalists of his day. Originally published in 1993, this revised and expanded edition contains extensive new material in the form of Richter's conducting books. Translated and reproduced in full, they detail every one of the 4,351 public performances Richter gave in a professional life spanning 47 years. Drawing on Richter's own diaries, the book also presents his correspondence with many contemporary composers (Wagner in particular) and performers. Fifield's biography of this seminal figure provides a revealing insight into British and European music and concert life during the long nineteenth century. CHRISTOPHER FIFIELD is a conductor, music historian, lecturer and broadcaster.He is the editor and author of the Letters and Diaries of Kathleen Ferrier and Max Bruch: His Life and Works, both published in new editions by The Boydell Press. He has also written Ibbs & Tillett - The rise andfall of a Musical Empire and The German Symphony between Beethoven and Brahms.Trade Review[W]ritten in a very engaging style with little tidbits about seemingly everyone. . . .This is, obviously, an important book if you are interested in conducting and 19th Century performance, but it also gives a wonderful look at the whole musical culture in Germany and England at the time. * AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE *An outstanding achievement, not merely a model biographical study, but one which will have set truly high standards for any future scholars. * BRIO *A formidable achievement...The sheer weight of archival research and supporting documentary evidence in this study is extraordinary...Even those who possess the original publication of 1993 should invest in this new edition. * THE WAGNER JOURNAL *Table of Contents1843-1865 Childhood and Years of Study 1866-1867 Tribschen 1868-1869 Munich 1870-1871 Brussels : Tribschen 1871-1874 Budapest 1874-1875 Budapest and Bayreuth 1875 Vienna 1876 Bayreuth 1877 London 1878-1879 Vienna 1879-1880 Friends and Enemies 1880-1881 London and Vienna 1881-1882 Richter and d'Albert 1882 Richter and d'Albert 1882-1883 The Master's Death 1884 More Opera in London 1885-1886 Vienna, London and Birmingham 1887-1888 Return to Bayreuth 1889-1900 Vienna 1897-1900 Richter and Mahler 1889-1890 England 1891-1895 England 1895-1900 England 1890-1899 Bayreuth 1894-1899 Richter's diary 1899-1900 Hallé Orchestra 1900-1902 England 1903-1904 England 1904-1906 England 1906-1908 England 1908-1909 England 1909-1911 England 1911-1914 Retirement 1914-1916 The Last Years Finale Hans Richter's Conducting Books Appendix 1: Works conducted by Hans Richter Appendix 2: Cities and towns where Richter conducted Select Bibliography

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Book SynopsisHow have Handel's 'lives' in biographies and histories moulded our understanding of the musician, the man and the icon? To evaluate the familiar, even over-familiar, story of Handel's life could be seen as a quixotic endeavour. How can there be anything new to say? This book seeks to distinguish fact from fiction, not only to produce a new biography but also to explore the concepts of biography and dissemination by using Handel's life and lives as a case study. By examining the images of Handel to be found in biographies and music histories - the genius, the religious profound, the master of musical styles, the distiller into music of English sentiment, the glorifier of the Hanoverians, the hymner of the middle class, the independent, the prodigious, the generous, the sexless, the successful, the wealthy, the bankrupt, the pious, the crude, the heroic, the devious, the battler of ill-fortune, the moral exemplar - and by adding new factual information, David Hunter shows how events are manipulated into stories and tropes. Onesuch trope has been employed to portray numerous persons as Handel's enemies regardless of whether Handel considered them as such. Picking apart the writing of Handel's biographers and other reporters, Hunter exposes the narrative underpinnings - the lies, confusions, presumptions, and conclusions, whether direct and inferred or assumed - to show how Handel's 'lives' in biographies and histories have moulded our understanding of the musician, the man andthe icon. DAVID HUNTER is Music Librarian at the University of Texas at Austin.Trade ReviewAt the heart of his project is an attempt to explore the gap between image and individual-in this case, between 'Handel' and Handel. Handel as image, argues Hunter, is a phenomenon that has superseded Handel the person.the care and intelligence with which Hunter interrogates the facts of Handel's life, and their use by biographers, should attract the attention of all readers interested in the perils and pleasures of biography. * EARLY MUSIC *[A] unique contribution to Handel scholarship. * MUSIC & LETTERS *Handel was an early entrepreneurial composer: he owned his own opera company, he borrowed from himself and others to increase his musical output, and he was impressively resourceful for his time. This study focuses on the multiple representations of Handel that were at least partly a result of his legendary resourcefulness as well as on questions that remain about his sexuality, health (disability), nationalism, friends and acquaintances, and so on. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsIntroduction The Audience: Three Broad Categories, Three Gross Errors The Audience: Partner and Problem Musicians and Other Occupational Hazards Patrons and Pensions Musical Genres and Compositional Practices Self and Health Self and Friends Nations and Stories Biographers' Stories Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIt's a life of the two of us.' The complete surviving correspondence between Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears. To read these letters is to climb up a wall and peer into the secret garden of two giants.' From the Foreword by FIONA SHAW This volume comprises the complete surviving correspondence between Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears. The 365 letters written throughout their 39-year relationship are here brought together and published, as Pears intended, for the first time. While the correspondence provides valuable evidence of the development of Britten's works, more significant is the insight into his relationship with Pears and their day-to-day life together. Entertaining to read, domestic and intimate, the letters provide glimpses of cultural and artistic life in the twentiethcentury, including pacifism and conscientious objection, critical assessments of music and other artists, transport and communications development in the twentieth century, the 'Aldeburgh corpses', art collecting, gossip, everyday life in an English country house, the development of the Aldeburgh Festival, performance practice in early music, looking after dachshunds, travel, and a host of other topics. Above all, when read together, Britten and Pears's letters allow the clearest possible look 'behind the scenes' of one of the most productive creative partnerships of the twentieth century. VICKI P. STROEHER is Professor of Music History at Marshall University where she isalso Coordinator of the Music History & Literature area. NICHOLAS CLARK is the Librarian at the Britten-Pears Foundation at The Red House, Britten and Pears's home in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. JUDE BRIMMER is an Archivist at the Britten-Pears Foundation.Trade Review[T]his collection of letters between Britten and Pears engages two very different and equally fascinating roles. On the one hand, the book is immensely valuable as a research tool with clues about Britten's compositional process, insights from both men about music and prominent musicians of their day, and poignant, first-hand accounts of history. On the other hand, the letters are so touching and honest that even the most dispassionate researcher might accidentally get lost in the compelling love story and intimate look into a deeply personal, committed relationship. * NABMSA REVIEWS *365 letters - one to read for each day of the year...Here we are allowed into the private world of two of the greatest musicians of their generation. * BRIO *My Beloved Man is, quite simply, a love story...it is fascinating to read. * GRAMOPHONE *Elegantly written and highly informative...a desirable volume for any academic library, and specialists in twentieth-century opera or British music generally will find it a rewarding read. * JNL OF THE SOCIETY FOR MUSICOLOGY IN IRELAND *It is difficult not to be moved by the personal and artistic courage of the relationship of which these letters, and the accompanying texts, present such a vivid...complete, picture. * FONTES ARTIS MUSICAE *Published here in full for the first time, these letters bear witness to a relationship in which love and creativity and romantic and professional lives are so tightly entwined that to try and separate them would make a nonsense of both. * THE SPECTATOR *'To read these letters is to climb up a wall and peer into the secret garden of two giants.' From domestic dramas and dachshunds to ideas for the Aldeburgh Festival, a new book captures the lives of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears in their own words. [...] While it does feel as if we're steaming open the envelopes and reading the letters while the house is still quiet, the editors of the book make it clear both men wanted their story to be told. * EAST ANGLIAN DAILY TIMES *[...] These are primarily communications by two loving partners who wish to share quotidian details [...] in order to bridge the gap as best they can during times of separation. [...] Still, there are occasional insights into Pears's musicianship, and particularly his and Britten's profound admiration of Bach. * BBC MUSIC AUTUMN *These letters are important. . . [and] have never had quite the impact they do here. * TELEGRAPH *Table of ContentsForeword by Fiona Shaw Introduction: Britten and Pears's 'personal and consistent' correspondence 'When I am not with you..': August 1937 to January 1941 'My life is inextricably bound up with yours': May 1942 to November 1944 'I don't know why we should be so lucky, in all this misery': July 1945 to April 1949 'You are potentially the greatest singer alive': Late 1949 to January 1954 'Why shouldn't I recognise that you are such a large part of my life. ': May 1954 to December 1959 'Far away as you are, at least I feel there is contact!': January 1960 to March 1968 'It is you who have given me everything': January 1970 to June 1975 'My days are not empty': January to November 1976 Personalia List of Works Select Bibliography

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Book SynopsisAn international collaboration between leading scholars showcases a broad spectrum of observations on Handel and his music, covering many aspects of modern interdisciplinary and traditional philological musicology. As soon as Handel composed, rehearsed and performed his music, it was already a subject of fascination for the authors of reports, polemics and critical appraisals. The continuous yet evolving culture of Handelian studies is represented here in its current state by several generations of scholars who are inspired by the research, publications and teaching of Donald Burrows. This festschrift contains twenty essays that exemplify aspects both of traditional philological enquiry and of modern interdisciplinary musicology. Much like a baroque dramma per musica, the narrative is divided into three parts. Act I, 'Handel's Music and Creative Practices', is an exposition that sets the scene and introduces the main characters: musical case studies stretch from his first opera Almira (Hamburg, 1705) to his last English oratorio The Triumph of Time and Truth (London, 1757). Act II, is 'Sources, Documents and Attributions', develops complications to the plot: there is new information about the authenticity of chamber cantatas and instrumental pieces, and reports on manuscript, printed, and archival sources that demonstrate how primary research may be interpreted and understood. Act III, 'Context and Reception', moves us towards the lieto fine: some broad contexts of Handel in relation to his contemporaries and colleagues are considered alongside reception studies of the composer's music both within and after his lifetime. DAVID VICKERS teaches Academic Studies at Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester) and is a council member of The Handel Institute. CONTIBUTORS: Graydon Beeks, Michael Burden, John Butt, Hans Dieter Clausen, Matthew Gardner, Anthony Hicks, David Hunter, H. Diack Johnstone, Andrew V. Jones, David Kimbell, Richard G. King, Annette Landgraf, Tríona O'Hanlon, Suzana Ograjenšek, Leslie M. M. Robarts, John H. Roberts, Ruth Smith, Colin Timms, David Vickers and Silas Wollston.Trade ReviewNew Perspectives on Handel's Music presents a touching, well-deserved tribute to Burrows and his distinguished career as a preeminent Handel scholar. * Music Library Association Notes *This book approaches Handel and his music from a range of perspectives, mixing close analysis of scores, images, catalogues, and texts, with reception history, insights into Handel's business relationships, and glimpses into gender studies and the psychology of music. * Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies *This weighty festschrift is a 'must' for all serious students of Handel and his context, and for all music libraries. It is a worthy tribute to a great and much-loved Handelian scholar. * The Consort *Table of ContentsOuverture David Vickers Act I. Handel's Music and Creative Practices 1 'Almire regiere': Some Reflections on the First Aria in Handel's First Opera David Kimbell 2 Il pastor fido by Guarini (1585) and Handel (1712): From tragicommedia pastorale to dramma per musica Suzana Ograjenšek 3 Late or Soon? Cadential Timing in the Continuo Recitatives of Handel and his Contemporaries John H. Roberts 4 Handel's Bilingual Versions of Esther and Deborah, 1734-1737 David Vickers 5 Handel's Compositional Process in the Creation of the Grand Concertos, Op. 6 Silas Wollston 6 The London Revisions of Handel's First Roman Oratorio: Il trionfo del Tempo e della Verità (1737) and The Triumph of Time and Truth (1757) Matthew Gardner Act II. Sources, Documents and Attributions 7 Handel's Continuo Cantatas: Problems of Authenticity, Classification and Chronology Andrew V. Jones 8 When and Why Did Handel Replace his Conducting Scores? Hans Dieter Clausen 9 Handel, the Duke of Chandos and Investing in the Royal African Company David Hunter 10 Handel and Comus at Exton Colin Timms 11 Wordbooks for Handel's Oratorios, Especially Joseph and his Brethren and Hercules: Copyright and Production Leslie M.M. Robarts 12 New Music by Handel for Horns? †Anthony Hicks (rev. Colin Timms) Act III. Context and Reception 13 Bach and Handel: Differences within a Common Culture of Musical Invention John Butt 14 Le rivale regine: Faustina and Cuzzoni in Satirical Engravings, Literature and Opera in the 1720s and 1730s Richard G. King 15 Charles Jennens Revisited Ruth Smith 16 'O Come, Let us Sing unto the Lord': Performances of the Cannons Anthems during Handel's Lifetime Graydon Beeks 17 Charity Performances of Handel's Works in Eighteenth-Century Dublin (1736-1760) Tríona O'Hanlon 18 Early Keepers of the Flame: Vanneschi (and Handel) at the Opera Michael Burden 19 Revamped Handel: The Content and Context of his So-Called 'Miserere' H. Diack Johnstone 20 Handel's 'celebrated Largo': Remarks on the Reception History of 'Ombra mai fu' Annette Landgraf The Works of Donald Burrows Index of Handel's Works General Index Tabula Gratulatoria

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Book SynopsisThe first detailed contextual study of chamber music in Beethoven's Vienna, at a time when the string quartet reigned supreme among the different chamber genres This book is the first detailed contextual study of string quartets in Beethoven's Vienna, at a time when that genre reigned supreme among the different chamber genres. Focusing on a key transition period in the early nineteenth century, which bore witness to fundamental shifts in the 'private' sphere of music-making, it explores the 'cultivation' of string quartets by composers, critics, listeners, performers, publishers and patrons. The book highlights these parties' interactions, ideas and ideals, which were central to defining the unique cultures of chamber music arising at this time. We gain fresh insights into publishing and marketing, performance venues and practices, review culture, listening theories and practices, and composition in early nineteenth-century Vienna. Until now, the unique theatricality of chamber music, and the 'social' nature of its discourse, has been poorly appreciated. Cultivating String Quartets in Beethoven's Vienna addresses this misconception and enriches our understanding of this crucial period of change, in which concert life began and previously 'private' music was moved out onto the stage. NANCY NOVEMBER is Associate Professor in Musicology at the University of Auckland.Trade ReviewA solid, well-researched study of an important genre during a crucial period in its history. * THE NORTHERN MARINER/LE MARIN DU NORD *November's study of earlier nineteenth-century Vienna shows us above all a richly varied, often uncategorisable, musical and social culture founded to a significant degree on sheer pleasure, combining the sensual, the sociable, and the intellectual. It has much to offer musicologists, performers, and Liebhaber und Liebkenner. * BRIO *Table of ContentsIntroduction Defining Chamber Music in the Early Nineteenth Century Celebrating Haydn, Cultivating Opera Selling String Quartets in Beethoven's Vienna Locating String Quartets in Beethoven's Vienna Early Nineteenth-Century Performance and Criticism Sociability, Showmanship, and Study: 'Quartet Friends' The String Quartet and the Listener Schubert's Song, Beethoven's Theatricality Epilogue: Constructing 'Viennese Chamber Music' Bibliography

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Book SynopsisJohn Sigismond Cousser, as performer and composer, was a pioneering figure in the musical history of the European Baroque era. John Sigismond Cousser - born Johann Sigismund Kusser in Pressburg, Hungary in 1660 - was a pioneering figure in the musical history of the Baroque era. Having worked professionally as a performer and composer across Europe over the span of a fifty-year career, this well-travelled and cosmopolitan musician was subsequently acknowledged by Johann Mattheson as having played a key role in the transmission of both the French and Italian musical styles throughout the German-speaking lands. Following study in Paris, Cousser was employed at a string of German courts, training musicians in the newly fashionable French style. At the court of Duke Anton Ulrich in Wolfenbüttel, he experienced at first hand performances of opera by Italian virtuosos and subsequently introduced countless German musicians and their audiences to the Italian musical style. Yet with the onset of war in 1701, Cousser was forced to seek his fortune elsewhere, moving to London in 1704 before settling permanently in Ireland. The Well-Travelled Musician expands current knowledge of Cousser's early life and professional career significantly, examining his particular role in the dissemination of music and musical styles throughout the German-speaking lands, as well as in early eighteenth-century London and Dublin. Drawing upon a rich body of primary sources, above all the unparalleled evidence contained in Cousser's so-called commonplace book, it reveals the practicalities of early modern musical exchange at a grass-roots level, from Pressburg (now Bratislava) to Paris, Hamburg to Dublin, and beyond. SAMANTHA OWENS is Associate Professor of Musicology at Victoria University of Wellington, New ZealandTrade ReviewA substantial contribution to our knowledge of not just Cousser but also baroque musical culture. * THE CONSORT *An exciting contribution to the study of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century musical life through the unique lens of the everyday experiences of musicmaking... a valuable perspective that hopefully will encourage future studies of a similar kind, and for which Owens's monograph would serve as an excellent model. * CONTEXT: A JOURNAL OF MUSIC RESEARCH *Will be of interest not only to musicologists, but anyone with an interest on social and cultural exchange across Europe in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. * SLAVONIC AND EAST EUROPEAN REVIEW *This wonderful and much-needed monograph not only provides the essential information about Cousser's life and career, but also allows us to examine the contents of a precious little book, pocket-sized that Cousser kept and wrote in from the 1690s until his death. . . . [which] 'offers a wealth of evidence concerning activities and preoccupations of a Baroque musician, not only professionally, but also far beyond that sphere' . . . . [Genuine praise is due Samantha Owens for offering us this fascinating and excellent addition to our music libraries. * EARLY MUSIC AMERICA *Table of ContentsIntroduction: John Sigismond Cousser and his 'Commonplace Book' Hungarian Beginnings and the Adoption of French Musical Style Kapellmeister at the Wolfenbüttel Court and Braunschweig Opera House Ariadne to Porus - Cousser's Braunschweig Operas 'The Incomparable Director' in Hamburg, Nuremberg and Augsburg Heliconische Musen-Lust - Opera at the Württemberg Court 'Il Paradiso terrestre'? - Cousser in London 'Fortune Not Blind' - Music for Dublin Castle 'Our Concert' - A Musician at Home Cousser's 'Collection of Fine Musick' and the Practicalities of Musical Exchange Appendix 1: Summary of the Contents of Cousser's 'Commonplace Book' Appendix 2: Cousser's Address Book Appendix 3:Cousser's Books of Cantatas, Madrigals, Duets and Serenatas Appendix 4:Cousser's Inventory of Ouverture Incipits Appendix 5: Transcription of Cousser's Notes for his 1716 Trip to London and the Continent

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Book SynopsisJoseph Joachim (1831-1907) was arguably the greatest violinist of the nineteenth century. But Joachim was also a composer of virtuoso pieces, violin concertos, orchestral overtures and chamber music works. Uhde's book will be thestandard work on the music of Joseph Joachim for many years to come. Joseph Joachim (1831-1907), of Jewish-Hungarian descent, was arguably the greatest violinist of the nineteenth century. His performing career in Berlin transformed the aesthetics and interpretation of German music. But Joachim wasalso a composer of virtuoso pieces, violin concertos, orchestral overtures, and chamber music works, all written between 1847 and 1864 in one intense outpouring of creativity. Katharina Uhde follows Joachim's compositionalpath through a changing cultural milieu. Joachim's compositions display intimate knowledge of the works of Mendelssohn, Wagner, Liszt, Schumann, and Brahms, yet he was no mere imitator. Joachim's style, classically conceived yetseasoned with a preference for dark, melancholy soundscapes and, in the earlier years, ciphers, virtuosity, and 'psychological' programmaticism, emerges as the product of various personal and socio-cultural currents: his search for national, religious, and cultural identity and a mature compositional style. Joachim's music drew on a wealth of treasures accumulated in his process of 'enculturation', which began with Mendelssohn in Leipzig. Joachim'saesthetic evolved from a deeply subjective approach, not insignificantly inspired by his muse, Gisela von Arnim. Her circle - the von Arnim and Grimm families - became Joachim's cultural and literary haven. But unforeseen events also impacted his output, among them Schumann's death, the ascent of the young Brahms, and the 'War of the Romantics'. Joachim's music throws light onto a vibrant decade, colored by realism, naturalism, new visual technologies, andemerging academic disciplines including psychology. Uhde's book will be the standard work on the music of Joseph Joachim for many years to come. KATHARINA UHDE is Assistant Professor for Violin and Musicology at Valparaiso University, IN.Trade ReviewIn the end, it seems that the conflicting binaries of nationality, of virtuoso performer vs. 'priestly' performer and of performer-interpreter vs. composer remained unresolved within Joachim himself. This book goes a long way towards illuminating these tensions and marks an important step towards opening up the topic for discussion. * STUDIA MUSICOLOGICA *A study centred around Joachim's music and his life as a composer...uncovers relationships both external and regional, as well as personal influences...In her analysis, Uhde shows immense musical and, in particular, technical expertise by exploring the structural and harmonic depth of Joachim's compositions from a violinist's point of view. * JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF MUSICOLOGY IN IRELAND *This book is the first full-length treatment in English devoted to Joachim as a composer . . . [and a] sorely needed addition to the scholarly literature of the late Romantic period. Uhde does an exemplary job of presenting and analyzing the entirety of Joachim's oeuvre, and she does so with the rarest of sensibilities, namely that of a musicologist who is also a performing musician. She intersperses the work with numerous biographical details, and her examinations of Joachim's compositions include plenty of cultural and historical context. . . . [A]n important work about a too-long neglected musician. * CHOICE *Gives an exhaustive analysis of Joachim's works, with research into Joachim's life at that point, German politics and philosophy and comparisons with other pieces that were influential to him. * STRINGENDO, AUSTA NATIONAL JOURNAL *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Approaching the Music of Joseph Joachim Virtuosity Uncoiled: Two Fantasies Re-discovered From Leipzig to Weimar Between Uncoiled Virtuosity and Lisztian Temptations Finding his Voice: Between Vergangenheitsmusik and Zukunftsmusik Joachim Encoded, or, 'Psychological Music' 'Psychological Music' Experienced and Remembered: Joachim and the Demetrius Plot in 1854 and 1876 Resisting the Dark Butterfly Joachim and the Art of Variation Identities: The Hungarian Concerto and Hebrew Melodies Gisela von Arnim and Compositional Memories, or Ciphers in Disguise Cultural Objects in a Prussian Society Conclusion: an Assessment of Joachim's Style Appendix: Joachim Catalogue of Works Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe first detailed study of the working relationship and productive friendship between Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) and Adrian Boult (1889-1983). From 1918 onwards, Boult became one of Vaughan Williams's most important interpreters, giving the world premieres of the Pastoral, Fourth and Sixth Symphonies, performing almost all his major works (not only at home but with some of the world's greatest orchestras), and working in close collaboration with the composer on major projects including the first complete recording of Vaughan Williams's symphonies. Boult continued to be the most devoted advocate of Vaughan Williams's music to the end of his long career. As this book shows, Boult's scores include numerous annotations derived from conversations and correspondence with Vaughan Williams and these provide important evidence of the composer's wishes including adjustments to orchestration, comments on interpretation, dynamics, phrasing and revisions to Vaughan Williams's notoriously unreliable metronome marks. The evidence of these scores is considered alongside the extensive correspondence between Vaughan Williams and Boult, Boult's private diaries and other relevant documents including contemporary press reports. The book includes three substantial supplements: a detailed description of Boult's marked scores, a comprehensive list of Boult's Vaughan Williams performances and a discography including surviving recordings of unpublished broadcasts. It will be indispensable reading for scholars and students of Vaughan Williams and historical conducting, Vaughan Williams enthusiasts and those interested in the history of recorded music.Trade ReviewAnother new book Vaughan Williams and Adrian Boult, by Nigel Simeone, analyses the crucial creative partnership Vaughan Williams had with Boult, who conducted the premieres of three of his symphonies, and recorded the first cycle of them. The collaboration continued posthumously: throughout the 1960s and 1970s Boult recorded and performed his friend's works, conducting his centenary concert in 1972. Simeone's achievement is to have analysed the scores Boult used when conducting, and the annotations he added following conversations with the composer. -- Simon Heffer * The Telegraph *In Simeone's hands, Boult's commitment to his composer and Vaughan Williams' rugged, self-deprecating character tell an enormously valuable story -- Sir Mark Elder, conductorIt is the revelation of the interaction between these two towering figures in British music that makes this such an important book -- Sir Andrew Davis, conductor[T]he much-respected musicologist Nigel Simeone has provided a definitive account of the relationship between the two men which throws much light on their working practices. One might have thought that such an examination had appeared before, but ... the level of attention and scholarship given here is unprecedented.... Simeone's is perhaps one of the most valuable books on the composer to appear in some time.... It goes without saying that any admirer of Vaughan Williams should have Simeone's study on their shelves; his reserves of insight and elegantly expressed enthusiasm are to be found in abundance here. -- Barry Forshaw * Classical CD Choice *Simeone's exploration of the intensely nourishing relationship between these two giants of British music-and Boult's characteristically selfless dedication and steadfast commitment to this repertoire right to the end [...]-makes for consistently absorbing reading. As an unabashed RVW/Boult obsessive, I devoured this book and unhesitatingly recommend it to anyone of a similar mindset. -- Andrew Achenbach * Gramophone *Well written and eminently readable, this book will take its place on the shelf of classic Vaughan Williams literature. * Fontes Artis Musicae *Table of ContentsPrologue 1. First Encounters and A Sea Symphony 2. A London Symphony 3. A Pastoral Symphony and Boult on Conducting in the 1920s 4. Job: 'To Adrian Boult' 5. Symphony No. 4 in F minor 6. Wartime Tensions 7. Symphony No. 5 in D major 8. Symphony No. 6 in E minor 9. Sinfonia antartica and the Last Two Symphonies 10. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Other Orchestral Works 11. Choral and Vocal Works 12. Vaughan Williams, Boult and The Pilgrim's Progress Appendix 1: Annotations on Boult's Working Scores Appendix 2: Boult's Vaughan Williams Performances: A Chronology Appendix 3: Discography Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA must-have for any conductor, conducting student and orchestral librarian. How does a conductor know whether the score they use is what the composer wrote? How do orchestral players know that their parts are reliable and reflect the latest scholarship? As Jonathan Del Mar reminds us in this ground-breaking book, editions of the orchestral repertoire are beset by textual problems: simple misprints, mistakes in the score or player's part, or hopelessly outdated scores at odds with current scholarship. Driven by a fundamental respect for what the composer actually wrote, Jonathan Del Mar addresses these problems through textual reports on over 100 orchestral masterpieces of classical music. Each report is introduced with essential guidance and succinct commentary on the first performance and publication of the work. Critical editions are compared with commonly used editions, and in those cases where no Urtext Edition exists, this much-needed reference work functions as a replacement for an Urtext Edition. Orchestral Masterpieces under the Microscope will be an indispensable reference tool for all who care about performances honouring the correct text that composers have left us. It serves as an essential survival guide for conductors and musicians to make informed choices, and it offers much-needed clarity on the latest scholarship for musicologists and music librarians alike.Trade ReviewAt last our orchestral prayers will be answered! -- Sir Mark ElderJonathan Del Mar is the outstanding music editor of our time. His book will be invaluable to all conductors as well as of great interest to other musicians and scholars. -- David MatthewsDecision making is at the heart of conducting,and in almost every major piece we work on there are a wealth of problems and conundrums to solve. Short of telephoning the composer ourselves,an option rarely available,we all need assistance. What did the composer REALLY write, and what exactly does it mean? Jonathan Del Mar has characteristically cut to the chase by compiling this treasure trove of answers to so many of those thorny questions. This book is beyond valuable: it will doubtless be on every conductor's bookshelf and countless scholars as well. Bravo!! -- Sir Simon RattleHis book is an indispensable reference for all musicians. -- Mary Nemet * AUSTA *This book is probably unique in its detail and coverage of the most important composers in Western classical music and will help veteran and student musicians alike. * MUSIC OPINION QUARTERLY *Table of ContentsPreface Editorial Conventions Bartok Piano Concerto No.1 Violin Concerto No.2 Dance Suite Beethoven Symphonies: some supplementary remarks Overture Leonore No.2 Overture Leonore No.3 Overture King Stephen Berlioz Symphonie fantastique Harold in Italy Overtures Bloch Schelomo: Hebraic rhapsody for cello and orchestra Brahms Four Symphonies Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor Violin Concerto in D Hungarian Dances: a brief guide Bruch Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor Busoni Piano Concerto Debussy Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune Dvořák Scherzo capriccioso Symphonic Variations Romance for violin and orchestra Serenade for strings Elgar Variations on an Original Theme ('Enigma') Concert-Overture: Froissart Concert-Overture: Cockaigne Concert-Overture: In the South (Alassio) Sea Pictures Serenade for Strings in E minor Fauré, orch. Aubert Fantaisie for Flute Franck Symphony in D minor Haydn Symphonies with High Horns Symphony No.100 in G ('Military') Symphony No.104 in D ('London') Liszt Piano Concerto No.1 in E flat Piano Concerto No.2 in A Mahler Symphony No.2 in C minor Martinů Rhapsody-Concerto for viola and orchestra Mendelssohn Symphony No.3 in A minor ('Scottish') Symphony No.4 in A ('Italian') Violin Concerto in E minor Overture The Hebrides Mozart Piano Concertos Mussorgsky, orch. Ravel Pictures from an Exhibition Nielsen Sinfonia espansiva (Symphony No.3) Prokofiev Classical Symphony (Symphony No.1) Peter and the Wolf Rachmaninov Symphony No.2 in E minor Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor Ravel Piano Concerto La Valse Le Tombeau de Couperin Pavane pour une infante défunte Respighi Fontane di Roma Rimsky-Korsakov Symphonic Suite: Scheherazade Capriccio Espagnol Rossini Overture William Tell Saint-Saëns Symphony No.3 in C minor Cello Concerto No.1 in A minor Schubert Overture Die Zauberharfe ('Rosamunde') Schumann Symphony No.4 in D minor Overture, Scherzo and Finale Cello Concerto in A minor Overture Genoveva Shostakovich Cello Concerto No.1 in E flat Sibelius Symphony No.2 in D Symphony No.3 in C Symphony No.4 in A minor Symphony No.5 in E flat Symphony No.6 in D minor Symphony No.7 in C Violin Concerto in D minor Tapiola Smetana Má Vlast: 2. Vltava Má Vlast: 3. Šárka Strauss Ein Heldenleben Horn Concerto No.1 in E flat Oboe Concerto Metamorphosen: Study for 23 Solo Strings Tchaikovsky Symphony No.2 in C minor Symphony No.3 in D Symphony No.4 in F minor Symphony No.5 in E minor Symphony No.6 in B minor, 'Pathétique' Piano Concerto No.1 in B flat minor Violin Concerto in D Fantasy-Overture after Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet Tippett Symphony No.2 in C Vaughan Williams A London Symphony (Symphony No. 2) Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No. 3) Tuba Concerto Wagner Prelude Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Walton Cello Concerto Weber Overture Der Beherrscher der Geister Overture Der Freischütz Overture Oberon Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe first study of the performance practice, repertoire and context of the modern 'brass ensemble' in the musical world. Whereas the British 'brass band' originated in the nineteenth century and rapidly developed into a nationwide working-class movement, the perceived modern 'brass ensemble' has a less clear foundation and identity. This book is the first to focus exclusively on the performance, practice, repertoire and context of the 'brass ensemble' in the musical world. Following World War II, the brass quintet and other orchestral groupings emerged in the United States and Europe, with musical customs established by professional players playing orchestral instruments. These groups initially played a combination of the music of Gabrieli and his contemporaries as well as newly commissioned works. By the late twentieth century, however, repertory spanned works by Elliott Carter, Maxwell Davies and Lutosławski, together with music that integrated jazz, commercial elements, and landmark transcriptions. At the book's heart is the story of the London-based, internationally acclaimed, Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. But this is not a story of one ensemble, as the 'brass ensemble' can be defined in several forms. The Modern Brass Ensemble in Twentieth-Century Britain offers a comprehensive account by an author and performer who was involved in many of the key developments of the modern 'brass ensemble'.Trade ReviewMiller's writing style is clear and informative, bringing an inclusive, contemporary view to a previously overlooked subject in musical history. He speaks from valuable personal experience in addition to his extensive research, which offers an enthusiastic and assuredly confident tone. -- Lucy Pankhurst * NABMSA Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Nineteenth-century brass music: the beginnings 2. Brass music-making in the early twentieth century 3. European brass music after World War II: the establishment of the brass quintet in Britain 4. The stimuli of the modern brass ensemble: the record industry, contemporary music, international activity, the player-arranger 5. Howarth's Pictures at an Exhibition, and the new reach of British brass playing 6. Continuity and change: the succession of British brass ensembles after the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble 7. Aspects of historical brass: uncovering phenomena of the past 8. Envoi Appendix 1. Selective List of Published Music Appendix 2. Selective Discography Appendix 3. London Brass: major commissions 1986-2001 Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisExplores the world of women's professional and amateur musical activity as it developed on and beyond the island of Ireland. In a story which spans several centuries, the book highlights representative composers and performers in classical music, Irish traditional music, and contemporary art music whose contributions have been marginalised in music narratives. As well as investigating the careers of public figures, this edited collection brings attention to women who engaged with and taught music in a variety of domestic settings. It also shines a spotlight on women who worked behind the scenes to build infrastructures such as festivals and educational institutions which remain at the heart of the country's musical life today. The book addresses and reconsiders ideas about the intersections of music, gender, and Irish society, including how the national emblem of the harp became recast as a symbol of Irish womanhood in the twentieth century. The book is divided into four parts. Part 1 surveys women musicians in Irish society of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Part 2 discusses women and practice in Irish traditional music. Part 3 studies gaps and gender politics in the history of twentieth-century women composers and performers. Part 4 situates discourses of women, gender, and music in the twenty-first century. The book's contributors encompass musicologists, cultural historians, composers, and performers.Table of ContentsPreface Lorraine Byrne Bodley and Harry White Introduction Laura Watson, Jennifer O'Connor-Madsen, and Ita Beausang Part I: Establishing a Place for Women Musicians in Irish Society of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries 1. Daughters of Hibernia: Seen and Not Heard? Ita Beausang 2. 'No Accomplishment So Great for a Lady': Women and Music in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Elite Irish Household Karol Mullaney-Dignam 3. The Development of the Female Musician in Nineteenth Century Dublin Jennifer O'Connor-Madsen 4. Family, Filial Ties, and Forging Careers as Female Musicians in the Nineteenth Century: The Story of the Glover Sisters Mary Louise O'Donnell Part II: Women and Practice in Irish Traditional Music 5. The Daghda, the Minstrel Boy, and Convent Schools: Reflections on Gender and the Harp in Ireland Helen Lawlor 6. 'No Longer Second Fiddle': Due Recognition for Josephine Keegan Daithí Kearney 7. Ireland's Female Harping Triumvirate: The Legacy of Sheila Larchet Cuthbert, Mercedes Garvey, and Gráinne Yeats Teresa O'Donnell Part III: Gaps and Gender Politics in the History of Twentieth-Century Women Composers and Performers 8. 'A Daughter of Music': Alicia Adélaïde Needham's Anglo-Irish Life and Music Axel Klein 9. Mary Dickenson-Auner: A Life with the Violin Margarethe Engelhardt-Krajanek 10. 'Opera Over a Cooking Stove': Gender Dynamics in the Music Career of Joan Trimble Ruth Stanley 11. Rhoda Coghill and the Gender Politics of Piano Performance Laura Watson Part IV: Situating Discourses of Women, Gender, and Music in the Twenty-First Century 12. Women and Composition: Fifty Years of Progress? Nicola LeFanu 13. Transcending Conventional Habits: Music and the Collaborative Process in Joint Works Rhona Clarke 14. Surveying the Scene: Current Thoughts on Women and Electroacoustic Music in Ireland Barbara Jillian Dignam 15. We Buried the Heteropatriarchy and Danced on its Grave: Towards a Liberation Movement for Irish Traditional Music Tes Slominski Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn the early spring of 1959, six musicians went into the 30th Street Studio in New York. Nine hours later, they had recorded one of the finest albums of the twentieth century. Kind of Blue traces Miles Davis's development into an artist capable of making such a masterpiece, and explores the careers and struggles of the musicians who shaped him and played alongside him. Using interviews and pictures, studio dialogue and outtakes, the great jazz historian Ashley Kahn follows Miles and his group into the studio, to show precisely how the greatest jazz record of all time was made, how it was introduced to the world, and how it changed music forever.

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Book SynopsisKirsty MacColl led a dazzling life - tender, creative, heroic and full of love. This book, by her mother Jean MacColl, charts with moving insight Kirsty's early years and celebrates her brilliant career at the front rank of the music business in the 1980s and 1990s with such hits as the Pogues collaboration 'Fairytale of New York'. It mourns her tragic and untimely death - killed by a speedboat in Mexican waters in December 2000. It also tells, with heartfelt truth, the shocking story of the elaborate cover-up and gross miscarriage of justice that followed and appeals for justice to be done in her name.Trade Review'A moving and beautiful portrait' - DAILY MAIL

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Book SynopsisMichael Ball is more than a Laurence Olivier Award winner and multiplatinum recording artist; he holds the unique status of being Britain's foremost musical theatre actor. Testimony to his success is the huge cult following he has built ...not least among theatre audiences. From his debut in London's West End, with a superb performance in the original 1985 cast of Les Miserables, to unqualified acclaim in Aspects Of Love, Passion, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and more recently in Hairspray and Sweeney Todd. Michael's silky smooth voice and boyish charms have seduced audiences everywhere, a popularity that has led to more than 15 sought-after solo albums and the hit single 'Love Changes Everything'. Television and radio have not been slow in courting his talents, from his first flirtation with the small screen and a rather embarrassing appearance in the ITV soap Coronation Street to hosting his own successful chat shows. He even represented Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992. Andrew Lloyd Webber, understated as ever, joked: 'He's a top man at what he does - and he has a rather nice taste in Savile Row suits.' But there is so much more to Michael than curly-haired smiles and smartly-dressed dulcet tones. In this first ever biography of the star, author Willie Robertson provides a comprehensive and compelling insight into the legend that is Michael Ball. A must read for any fan!

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Book SynopsisIn a world of boy bands and manufactured pop, Jake Bugg's simply-strummed tales of life on the council estate where he grew up have connected with music fans around the world. Bugg has turned the music industry inside out with the unexpected success of his country folk songs with a rockabilly twist. He's taken the sounds of the 1950s and 60s into the 21st century. But how did a teenager from Nottingham - a city whose music scene was previously notable for one hit wonders and novelty records - go from the bottom of the bill to the top in such a short space of time? Journalist David Nolan has immersed himself in the Nottingham music scene and tracked down the key players who helped Jake along the way. Here, for the first time, is Bugg's story, in this unofficial biography. Jake Bugg: is he The Council Estate Bob Dylan, The Cockiest Lonnie Donegan Wannabe in Nottingham or The King of the Clifton Delta? Maybe he's all three.

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Book SynopsisRobert Johnson. Brian Jones. Jimi Hendrix. Janis Joplin. Jim Morrison. Kurt Cobain. Amy Winehouse. They were inspirational, controversial, talismanic and innovative. They lead lives full of myth, scandal, sex, drugs and some of the most glorious music that has ever heard. Though each of their lives were cut tragically short at the age of 27, they would all leave the world having changed it irrevocably. Chris Salewicz tells, in intimate detail, the stories behind these compelling figures. From Robert Johnson and his legendary deal with the devil, to Jimi Hendrix appearing like a psychedelic comet on the London scene, through to Amy Winehouse's blazing talent and her savage appetite for self-destruction.Trade ReviewOne of the most rivetingly detailed, revealing music biographies ever written - The Sunday TimesA great read. Brutally frank and full of insights - MojoA riveting read that will keep you gripped to the end - Daily Mirror

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Book SynopsisTake the stage with the Christopher NortonStunning music for solo flute and piano for intermediate to advanced-level players, from the creator of Microjazz15 entertaining and inventive pieces based on well-known American folk tunes, Christmas carols and nursery rhymesSpectacular performance and accompaniment tracks available onlineInstrumentation:Flute and piano

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Book SynopsisChristopher Norton's acclaimed Microjazz series has won worldwide popularity with teachers and students alike for its stimulating blend of contemporary genres and classical values. Two beginners' books and five collections of repertoire pieces form seven clearly defined levels of achievement, making Microjazz the ideal basis for progressive learning and teaching.Microjazz Beginners is the second book in the series and is suitable for learners of all ages. Using a combination of words, music and illustrations, it takes first-time pianists steadily through the early stages of both the practical and theoretical aspects of playing.A booklet of accompaniments, suitable for use by a teacher or any intermediate player, is included. The resulting duets can be played on one or two keyboards, and turn even the easiest pupil''s tunes into unmistakable Microjazz pieces.Online audio resources containing both backing and full performance tracks are available to enthuse and enhance both your practice and performance.Instrumentation:piano

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Book SynopsisChristopher Norton's acclaimed Microjazz series has won worldwide popularity with teachers and students alike for its stimulating blend of contemporary genres and classical values. Two beginners' books and five collections of repertoire pieces form seven clearly defined levels of achievement, making Microjazz the ideal basis for progressive learning and teaching.Microjazz Collection 2 is a set of progressive easy pieces in popular styles such as jazz, blues, rock 'n' roll and reggae. Helpful teaching notes and online audio resources containing both full performance and backing tracks are provided to enthuse and enhance both your practice and performance.Instrumentation:piano

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Book SynopsisThe full range of traditional fiddle repertoire is now at your fingertips! Using these generous collections, you can create your own ceilidh, barn dance, jazz club or Sarajevo street-café. Some of this music is familiar, some more exotic, but all of it is absolutely authentic, faithfully arranged and, above all, hugely enjoyable.Each title in the series is available in two formats: the Violin Edition (with an optional easy violin part and guitar chords); or the Complete Edition, which also includes both keyboard and violin accompaniments. Either format is hugely flexible, which means the music can be played as solos, duets or trios as well as with larger ensembles.Edward Huws Jones has travelled extensively researching fiddle-playing traditions. In each book he explains the background of the particular musical style, giving his own suggestions for a lively performance.Instrumentation:violin (2 violins), guitar ad libitum

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Book SynopsisThe full range of traditional fiddle repertoire is now at your fingertips! Using these generous collections, you can create your own ceilidh, barn dance, jazz club or Sarajevo street-café. Some of this music is familiar, some more exotic, but all of it is absolutely authentic, faithfully arranged and, above all, hugely enjoyable.Each title in the series is available in two formats: the Violin Edition (with an optional easy violin part and guitar chords); or the Complete Edition, which also includes both keyboard and violin accompaniments. Either format is hugely flexible, which means the music can be played as solos, duets or trios as well as with larger ensembles.Edward Huws Jones has travelled extensively researching fiddle-playing traditions. In each book he explains the background of the particular musical style, giving his own suggestions for a lively performance.Instrumentation:violin (2 violins) and piano, guitar ad libitum

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Book SynopsisThe full range of traditional fiddle repertoire is now at your fingertips! Using these generous collections, you can create your own ceilidh, barn dance, jazz club or Sarajevo street-café. Some of this music is familiar, some more exotic, but all of it is absolutely authentic, faithfully arranged and, above all, hugely enjoyable.Each title in the series is available in two formats: the Violin Edition (with an optional easy violin part and guitar chords); or the Complete Edition, which also includes both keyboard and violin accompaniments. Either format is hugely flexible, which means the music can be played as solos, duets or trios as well as with larger ensembles.Edward Huws Jones has travelled extensively researching fiddle-playing traditions. In each book he explains the background of the particular musical style, giving his own suggestions for a lively performance.Instrumentation:violin (2 violins), guitar ad libitum

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Book SynopsisThe full range of traditional fiddle repertoire is now at your fingertips! Using these generous collections, you can create your own ceilidh, barn dance, jazz club or Sarajevo street-café. Some of this music is familiar, some more exotic, but all of it is absolutely authentic, faithfully arranged and, above all, hugely enjoyable.Each title in the series is available in two formats: the Violin Edition (with an optional easy violin part and guitar chords); or the Complete Edition, which also includes both keyboard and violin accompaniments. Either format is hugely flexible, which means the music can be played as solos, duets or trios as well as with larger ensembles.Edward Huws Jones has travelled extensively researching fiddle-playing traditions. In each book he explains the background of the particular musical style, giving his own suggestions for a lively performance.Instrumentation:violin (2 violins) and piano, guitar ad libitum

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe full range of traditional fiddle repertoire is now at your fingertips! Using these generous collections, you can create your own ceilidh, barn dance, jazz club or Sarajevo street-café. Some of this music is familiar, some more exotic, but all of it is absolutely authentic, faithfully arranged and, above all, hugely enjoyable.Each title in the series is available in two formats: the Violin Edition (with an optional easy violin part and guitar chords); or the Complete Edition, which also includes both keyboard and violin accompaniments. Either format is hugely flexible, which means the music can be played as solos, duets or trios as well as with larger ensembles.Edward Huws Jones has travelled extensively researching fiddle-playing traditions. In each book he explains the background of the particular musical style, giving his own suggestions for a lively performance.Instrumentation:violin (2 violins) and piano, guitar ad libitum

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisRead the definitive biography of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, whose music and career illuminate the legacy of 1960s counterculture.Between 1969 and 1974, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were the most successful, influential and politically potent rock band in America. More than any of their peers, they channelled and broadcast all the radical anger, romantic idealism and generational angst of their era. The vast emotional range of their music, from delicate acoustic confessionals to raucous counter-culture anthems, was mirrored in the turbulence of their personal lives.Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is the first major biography of a band whose first two albums are undisputed rock classics, and which continues to attract a large and loyal following to their sporadic reunions. At the same time, Peter Doggett illuminates the pivotal years of 1960s counterculture through the story of four of its key protagonists, whose music, beliefs and relationships with each other chronicle both its trajectory and its legacy.'A fascinating, rip-roaring and timely re-telling of a corner of music history' Frank TurnerTrade ReviewPeter Dogett's book is a fascinating, rip-roaring and timely re-telling of a corner of music history that was hugely important but is all too often forgotten. The rehabilitation of Crosby, Stills and Nash's reputation (and of Young's contributions here) is long overdue -- Frank TurnerEngaging… [Doggett] use[s] the saga of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young as a metaphor for the Woodstock generation and their doomed mission to return to the garden -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times, *Book of the Week* *[A] meticulous chronicle of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young… Doggett carefully charts the stalled sessions and schemes caused by this alpha-male jostling… For fans who want detailed chronology, it will be a joy, but Doggett’s book is also a deft portrait of a golden age tarnishing even as the band sang -- Victoria Segal * Sunday Times *Especially good on the musicians early lives and early Seventies peak * Choice *Doggett… presents a solid, steady, evenhanded portrait. He loves the music without being slavish, and pays each of the musicians their due -- Anthony Quinn * Mail on Sunday *Exhaustively researched… If you think you know the history of CSN&Y then read this and, like me, you will be surprised at what you learn -- Tom Povey * RNR *Doggett…treasure[s] the band’s early oeuvre and writes with empathy about the group -- Holly George-Warren * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book Synopsis The latest book in the bestselling All the Songs series, this is the most in-depth exploration of Springsteen's songs ever written.Spanning nearly 50 years of albums, EPs, B-sides, and more, read the full story behind every single song that The Boss has ever released. Moving chronologically through Springsteen's long career, expert authors Margotin and Guesdon explore everything there is to know about every single song. No stone is left unturned across 670 pages, from the inspiration behind the lyrics and melody to the recording process and even the musicians and producers who worked on each track.Uncover the stories behind the music in this truly definitive book - a must-have for every Springsteen fan.

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Book Synopsis"Prince: All the Songs is a major achievement...[It] may be the definitive single-volume book about Prince for both its breadth and the way it views his life through the songs that were the true essence of his being." - PsychobabbleSpanning nearly 50 years of albums, EPs, B-sides, and more, read the full story behind all of the songs that Prince ever released. Moving chronologically through his epic back catalogue, expert author Benoît Clerc analyses everything there is to know about each song and session.No stone is left unturned across more than 600 pages, illustrated with incredible photography throughout. From the inspiration behind the lyrics and melody to the recording process and even the musicians and producers who worked on each track, uncover the stories behind the music in this truly definitive book - a must-have for every Prince fan.

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Book SynopsisA Rough Trade Book of the Year'No one has captured the look of alternative UK music over the past half a century more tellingly than Kevin Cummins.' - Simon Armitage'Kevin Cummins is a true master in being able to capture the essence of music, the soul of the band. Whatever he does however he does it is a mystery to me but it's pure genius.' - Rankin'Few photographers had such a close connection to The Fall as Manchester-based Kevin Cummins, and his new book, Telling Stories, is a rich visual history of one of the city's most beloved and enduring bands.' - Record Collector Magazine 'Kevin has the uncanny ability of capturing the inner mood of musicians. Be it the dynamics within a pensive Joy Division, or the sense surrounding the fledgeling Fall that something special was around the corner for us all. Kevin's book is nothing less than a remarkable document of a bewildering and defiant anti-fashion movement born in Prestwich, north Manchester in the grimy mid-70s.' - Marc Riley'Capturing forty years of the band's career via his archive, the legendary photographer (whose recent book, Juvenes, documented the story of Joy Division) gives his take on the phenomenon of The Fall and the late, great Mark E. Smith.' - Vive le Rock Contains never-before-seen images.Foreword by Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate. From chaotic early gigs to their final years, NME photographer Kevin Cummins provides a definitive, unique perspective on cult favourites The Fall. In this stunning visual history spanning four decades, discover how and why they emerged as one of the most innovative, boundary-breaking bands in modern music.With a foreword by Poet Laureate and Fall fan Simon Armitage and an interview with Eleni Poulou, as well as never-before-seen images from Cummins' archive, this is the ultimate visual companion to The Fall.

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Book Synopsis This is the most in-depth exploration of Metallica's songs ever written.From their widely circulated demo, No Life 'til Leather, all the way to their 10th studio album Hardwired... to Self-Destruct - Metallica have earned the title of the biggest heavy metal band on the planet. Their albums, including the hugely influential Master of Puppets, are now considered classics of rock and metal, while singles such as Enter Sandman, Fade to Black and For Whom the Bell Tolls have stood the test of time. Follow the epic journey of the godfathers of thrash metal, song-by-song, and see how they became one of the biggest selling bands in the world.No stone is left unturned across more than 500 pages, illustrated with incredible photography throughout, from the inspiration behind the lyrics and melodies to the recording process and even the musicians and producers who worked on each track.Uncover the stories behind the music in this truly definitive book - a must-have for every Metallica fan.

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Book Synopsis**THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Roxy Music's iconic first album with this collection of Bryan Ferry's evocative lyrics of aspiration and romantic longing, introduced by the author.'Lyrics is a book any Roxy fan would be proud to have on their shelf' The TelegraphBryan Ferry's work as a singer and songwriter, both as a solo artist and with Roxy Music, is legendary.Lyrics collects the words written for music across seventeen albums, from the first iconic Roxy album of 1972 via the masterpiece of Avalon to 2014's reflective Avonmore, introduced by the author, and with an insightful essay by James Truman.All the classic Roxy anthems are here - 'Virginia Plain', 'Do the Strand', 'Love is the Drug' - songs in which the real and the make-believe blend in a kaleidoscopic mix, shot through with cinematic allure.Also included are the evocative lyrics of romantic longing and lost illusions for which Ferry is rightly revered: 'Slave to Love', 'Mother of Pearl', 'More Than This'. As he writes in his preface, 'The low points in life so often produce the most keenly felt and best-loved songs.' And, it might be added, some of the best poetry.Discover this unforgettable collection of Bryan Ferry's work today.Trade ReviewLyrics is a book any Roxy fan would be proud to have on their shelf * Daily Telegraph *There is something arresting seeing Ferry's words laid out in black type on the white page... the layout of Lyrics offers an elegant simplicity that allows these lines to breathe * Record Collector *

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Book SynopsisNo other pop group in recent history has faced fame with such intelligence, humour and shrewdness as the Pet Shop Boys. In 1991, the band toured North America for the first time shadowed by journalist Chris Heath and legendary rock photographer Pennie Smith. They visited fourteen cities in one month, confronting the American music industry and colliding with the likes of Liza Minnelli, Steven Spielberg and Axl Rose. This is more than a documentary of a tour; it is an unusually intimate portrait of two maverick British musicians always reluctant to compromise.‘There was a time when the Pet Shop Boys seemed to exist entirely on radio, television and in magazines. This is the other world of the Pet Shop Boys in concert, travel and backstage, as they bring their art and glamour to America. It’s funny too.’ Johnny Marr‘A brilliant book, to be read over and over again. How could anyone not love these men?’ NMETrade ReviewOne of the best biographies in pop history. A phenomenal piece of observational journalism. Heath's books offers unprecedented access. -- Mark Savage * BBC News *Candid, hilarious and revealing...gloriously gossipy. [They set] a benchmark for music biographies. Engrossing stuff. * Classic Pop Magazine *Candid, insightful and frequently hilarious dispatches from the front line of pop stardom. An astonishingly intimate and honest portrait of the maverick duo. Page turners of the highest order, saying more about their subjects than any “straight” biographies could ever hope to achieve.- * Record Collector Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe Pet Shop Boys are one of the most successful and unusual bands of the last five decades. They are the pop duo that proves pop music can be modern, ecstatic and playful as well as serious and intelligent, winning them legions of devoted fans throughout the world.In 1989, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe invited journalist Chris Heath and photographer Lawrence Watson to shadow them around Hong Kong, Japan and the UK as they embarked on their first-ever tour. This book is the result: an immersive portrait giving access into the duo’s inner sanctum, showing them in brilliantly observed detail as they work, relax, gossip, argue and occasionally try to make sense of what they do.‘As clear a picture as could be wished for of the seething mass of elegant contradictions that is the Pet Shop Boys’ on-the-road experience.’ Independent on Sunday‘This superbly reported book transcends tired rock journalism cliché. It’s about what it means to be a pop star, what it means to be a Pet Shop Boy… how to love pop, hold it to a higher standard and subvert its expectations.’ Laura SnapesTrade ReviewOne of the best biographies in pop history. A phenomenal piece of observational journalism. Heath's books offers unprecedented access. -- Mark Savage * BBC News *Candid, hilarious and revealing...gloriously gossipy. [They set] a benchmark for music biographies. Engrossing stuff. * Classic Pop Magazine *Candid, insightful and frequently hilarious dispatches from the front line of pop stardom. An astonishingly intimate and honest portrait of the maverick duo. Page turners of the highest order, saying more about their subjects than any “straight” biographies could ever hope to achieve. * Record Collector Magazine *

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Book SynopsisDuncan Ferguson. David Moyes. Paul McCartney. A father and a son. A passion for Everton, and a passion for The Beatles. Blues & Beatles is a story of football and music across the generations, showing in touching and hilarious detail how a young boy inherited his father's obsessions - and would one day pass them on to his own sons. A journalist like his father, Neil Roberts has special access to his beloved football club, so his heartfelt memoir includes glimpses within the inner sanctum of Goodison Park as well as every unforgettable Everton moment since the 1980s, all soundtracked by the Fab Four. Along the way, Neil meets his heroes - including musical as well as Everton icons - and reveals intriguing connections to Dixie Dean and a famous Victorian footballer. But above all, Blues & Beatles is a story of football and music shared by father and son. Described by Everton fans' website Blue Kipper as "a fantastic read [which] covers every Everton 'moment' from the 70's to date carefully captured in detail."

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