Search results for ""Author MAYNARD""

In a series of powerful strokes, the music of Beethoven's last years redefined his legacy and enlarged the realm of experience accessible to the creative imagination. Maynard Solomon's "Late Beethoven" investigates the phenomenon of the final phase, focusing especially on the striking metamorphosis in Beethoven's system of beliefs that began early in his fifth decade and eventually amounted to a sweeping realignment of his views of nature, antiquity, divinity, and human purpose. Using the composer's letters, diaries, and conversation books, Solomon traces Beethoven's attraction to a constellation of heterogeneous ideas, drawn from Romanticism, Freemasonry, comparative religion, Eastern initiatory ritual, Mediterranean mythology, aesthetics, and classical and contemporary thought. Through these often arcane sources, Beethoven gained access to a vast reservoir of imagery and ideas with the potential to expand music's expressive and communicative reach. This 'multitude of productive images,' writes Solomon, 'provided kindling for the blaze of his imagination.' "Late Beethoven" is a rich tapestry of original perspectives on Beethoven's music. Solomon sees the Seventh Symphony as a deployment of the rhythms of antiquity in an effort to revalidate the premises of the Classical world; the Ninth as an essay on the prospects and limits of affirmative, monumental endings; and the 'Diabelli' Variations as a doorway to the universe of metaphoric significances that attach to beginnings. In the Violin Sonata in G, op. 96, Solomon finds a restoration of the full range of pastoral experience that the ancient poets had known. In the Grosse Fuge he locates issues of fragmentation and reassembly, and he suggests that pivotal passages of the last sonatas evoke sacred states of being. These stimulating perspectives illuminate the inner world within which Beethoven dwelled during his last fifteen years and the ways in which his thought and music may be interrelated. Written in accessible and eloquent prose, and with numerous music examples, "Late Beethoven" is a serious contribution to understanding this miraculous quantum leap in Beethoven's creative evolution.

Read more less

Actor performer musician entrepreneur winemaker athlete writer curious adventurer ä Maynard James Keenan is the embodiment of the archetypal artist. Best known as the vocalist in award-winning groups Tool A Perfect Circle and Puscifer he has trusted the path he's followed and heeded his inner voice ever open to synchronicities and unexpected turnings along the way.ÞUntil now fans of Maynard James Keenan ä or MJK as he is often called ä have had access to only an abridged version of his story. In ÊA Perfect Union of Contrary ThingsÊ Keenan partners with his friend of 30 years Sarah Jensen to present a full account of his life and career. From his Midwest childhood to his years in the army to his time in art school ä and from his stint at a Boston pet shop to his place in the international spotlight and his influence on contemporary music and regional winemaking ä the book chronicles the events that led MJK to take one step after the next to change direction to explore sometimes surprising opportunities.ÞIncluded are sidebars in his own words often humorous anecdotes that illuminate the narrative as well as commentary by his family members friends instructors and industry colleagues. It also features a foreword by Alex Grey an American visionary artist and longtime friend of Keenan along with a bounty photos of Keenan from childhood to the present.ÞA comprehensive portrayal of a versatile and dedicated artist ÊA Perfect Union of Contrary ThingsÊ pays homage to the people and places that shaped the man and his art. A ÊNew York TimesÊ Bestseller in hardcover it is presented here for the first time in paperback.

Read more less

ÊNew York TimesÊ Bestseller ÊA Perfect Union of Contrary ThingsÊ is the authorized biography of musician and vintner Maynard James Keenan. Co-author Sarah Jensen's 30-year friendship with Keenan gives her unique insight into his history and career trajectory. The book traces Keenan's journey from his Midwest childhood to his years in the Army to his time in art school from his stint at a Boston pet shop to his place in the international spotlight and his influence on contemporary music and regional winemaking. A comprehensive portrayal of a versatile and dedicated artist ÊA Perfect Union of Contrary ThingsÊ pays homage to the people and places that shaped the man and his art.ÞUntil now Maynard's fans have had access to only an abridged version of his story. ÊA Perfect Union of Contrary ThingsÊ presents the outtakes the scenes of disappointment and triumph and the events that led him to take one step after the next to change direction to explore sometimes surprising opportunities. Included are sidebars in his own words often humorous anecdotes that illuminate the narrative as well as commentary by his family members friends instructors and industry colleagues. The book also features a foreword by Alex Grey an American visionary artist and longtime friend of Keenan. Accompanying the text are photos of Keenan from childhood to the present.ÞMaynard's story is a metaphor for the reader's own evolution and an encouragement to follow one's dreams hold fast to individual integrity and work ceaselessly to fulfill our creative potential.

Read more less