Description
Book SynopsisWinner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the Grawemeyer Award, Aaron Jay Kernis achieved recognition as one of the leading composers of his generation while still in his thirties. This book offers a mid-career portrait of a major American cultural figure.
Trade Review"It is all too rare to have such a comprehensive account of a living composer, one, in fact, of a composer who is still at the height of his creative powers. So Leta Miller's fascinating new book about Aaron Jay Kernis is extremely welcome, not only because it shines light on many of his important compositions, but because it is also a really good read! In revealing that the life of a present day composer can be every bit as compelling as the biographies of the so-called old masters, hopefully it will encourage authors and publishers to further mine the life stories of other leading music creators of our time."--Frank J. Oteri, composer and founding editor of
NewMusicBox"Aaron Jay Kernis is one of the most important and original voices in contemporary music. Writing about a living composer and explaining contemporary music present enormous challenges. Leta Miller meets them with uncanny skill. Illuminating Kernis' life and getting to the core of his music, she finds fascinating and important links between them."--Hugh Wolff, Director of Orchestras and Chair of Orchestral Conducting, New England Conservatory
"In Leta Miller's wonderfully intimate and detailed portrait of Aaron Kernis, she chronicles his personal and professional progression to become one of the world's leading voices in new music. Her book inspires me to revisit the works I know with new insight, to listen to the works I have missed and to anticipate many years of amazing new creations."--David Shifrin
"Enjoyable and readable. The sections on the Pulitzer and Grawemeyer; his studies with Wuorinen; the accounts of rehearsals of his music by Jacob Druckman, Zubin Mehta, and Kurt Masur; the music itself; the variety of styles that he drew from; brief connections to minimalism, rap, jazz, and popular music--all were interesting to read. I found her discussion of turning points within his career, and consistencies within his style (including eclecticism itself), to be strongly supported by the presentation and analyses of his music. Not only does she point out Judaic, popular, and personal references in the music, she provides a wider context of understanding about their meaning in his output as a whole."--Sharon Mirchandani, author of
Marga RichterTable of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii
1. Introduction
1
2. Learning the Craft: Early Years and Training (1960-1983)
7
3. Kernis Meets the New York Philharmonic
26
4. Coming to Grips with History (1984-1991)
43
5. War, with Interludes (1991-1995)
71
6. Triumphs and Tribulations: Big Commissions, Big Risks, Big Rewards (1995-2001)
100
7. Family Matters (2002-2009)
126
8. Looking to the Future
152
APPENDIX: CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF WORKS 163
SUGGESTED LISTENING 171
NOTES 173
INDEX 185
