Description
Book Synopsis'Composers of the Nazi Era' is the final book in the trilogy on music and musicians in the Third Reich. This provides a detailed examination of the careers of eight prominent German composers who lived and worked among the dictatorship of the Third Reich.
Trade ReviewA very impressive achievement - for two reasons above all. First, the range of Kater's research and documentation is awe-inspiring. Second, Kater sets out neither to canonise nor demonise ... Ultimately, this is a book which provokes thoughts rather than spelling them out ... Kater doesn't offer answers, but after reading his book, we can at least see the questions more clearly. * Stephen Johnson, BBC Music Magazine *
Kater's background knowledge is impressive, and he refuses to oversimplify or to make facile judgements. * Times Literary Supplement *
What do artists do in the face of tyranny, and how can creativity thrive under fascism? ... This last book of a trilogy of music and musicians in the Third Reich is intended to present a closer look at each of the people studied ... Especially compelling is the book's description of the Nazi Bureaucracy as regards art and culture before, during, and just after the Second World War. * Music Educators Journal *
With this volume, Kater has completed a remarkable trilogy of books about music during the Nazi era ... Kater is rigorous in his attention to detail; his research is up-to-date, and his conclusions are persuasive. This book - indeed, the entire trilogy - should be a part of every collection. * Library Journal *
A largely successful effort to clarify the motives and behaviors of some representative men during a fascinatingly ugly chapter of human history, without appearing to sit in judgment so much as to illuminate various noble, deplorable, and frequently contradictory phenomena of human character ... Meticulously documented. * The Washington Post *
Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. Werner Egk: The Enigmatic Optimist ; 2. Paul Hindemith: The Reluctant Emigre ; 3. Kurt Weill: A Survivor on Two Continents ; 4. Karl Amadeus Hartmann: The Composer as Dissident ; 5. Carl Orff: Man of Legend ; 6. Hans Pfitzner: Magister Teutonicus Miser ; 7. Arnold Schoenberg: Musician of Contrasts ; 8. Richard Strauss: Jupiter Compromised ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Index
