Description
Book SynopsisIn Jón Leifs and the Musical Invention of Iceland, Árni Heimir Ingólfsson provides a striking account of the dramatic career of Iceland's iconic composer. Leifs (1899–1968) was the first Icelander to devote himself fully to composition and this book enriches our appreciation of his music by exploring the political, literary and environmental contexts that influenced his work.
Trade ReviewA thoroughly absorbing study of a formidable and sometimes troubling figure who possessed one of the more original musical voices of the twentieth century.
* Alex Ross: the Rest is Noise *
By intertwining the narrative of Leifs's personal turmoil and joys, political maneuverings, professional strug-gles, and creative triumphs, Ingólfsson allows the full view of Leifs as artist, composer, and man to become discernable. That complete and detailed picture is what makes this biography compelling.
-- Dan White * Music Reference Services Quarterly *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Note on Spelling and Naming
Introduction
1. The Land Without Music (1899–1916)
2. Years of Study (1916–1921)
3. Composer and Conductor (1921–1929)
4. Leifs and the Elements of an Icelandic Style
5. Icelandic Nation-Building and the 1930 Alþingi Festival (1929–1933)
6. "This Music Belongs to Us" (1933–1937)
7. Dinosaurs in Berlin (1937–1944)
8. Guilt and Retribution (1944–1955)
9. The Final Years (1955–1968)
Postlude: Revival and Influence
Appendix: List of Jón Leifs Completed Works
Selected Bibliography
Index
