Search results for ""kahn averill""

A unique record of Poulenc (1899-1963) who is considered the greatest composer of mélodies of his period, a period that opened with the aftermath of the First World War and closed as recently as 1960. He set to music poetry by all the greatest French twentieth century poets as well as others from earlier times. He wrote this diary of songs as an answer to what he felt were the frequent misinterpretations of his work. It describes the origins of each song, comments on performances he heard and offers guidelines for interpretation. The diary is filled out with explanatory notes, a collection of unfamiliar photographs and the English translation to the text written opposite the French original. It will appeal to singers who include French song in his or her repertoire and also to those who have an interest in music of this period. The translator, Winifred Radford is also the singer who gave the first performance in England of Poulenc's song cycle Fiancailles pour rire in 1945. She was coached by Poulenc and Pierre Bernac with whom she later translated The Interpretation of French Song and Francis Poulenc - The Man and his Songs.

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Following methods known to have been adopted by Bach himself, the exercises provided in chorale harmonization are graded in such a way as to encourage the student to develop both technique and imagination within a closely-defined framework. The instrumental counterpoint section is based on Bach's two-and three-part Inventions. By close analysis the author helps the reader to recognize the procedures Bach adopted in various musical situations. The exercises are taken largely from Bach's keyboard works.

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This is a reprint of the collection of Eisler's writings in English, first published in 1978. For Eisler the written word was very important and people paid tribute to his mind, quickness of thought, wit and breadth of cultural knowledge.

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This second edition of Esther Salaman's acclaimed book comes with added ideas and exercises. The message though is still the same: singing at all stages and the personality behind the voice - the aspirations, fears and courage we need to explore our invisible instrument. The book covers every aspect of voice production and the author's appreciation of the Bel Cantists underlies all her work. She gives a detailed plan for vocal health, as well as technical exercises in the form of musical examples. Singers of all ages, teachers and choir trainers will find it immensley helpful. The book included an analysis of Schubert's 'An die Musik'.

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This book gives detailed and authoritative guidance on the mastery of this rewarding instrument. It is a practical manual offering beginner and expert alike a thorough and systematic treatment of every aspect of performance. There are many parts of the body employed in playing the bassoon - abdomen, mouth, tongue, fingers, and not least brain - and are described in turn and their proper use discussed both from a theoretical and practical perspective. Each section is followed by highly original practice routines. There is also advice on maintenance, how to practise, how to teach, and how to cope with the challenges of audition and competition. There are hints given on the performance of concertos by Mozart and Weber, a list of recommended solo repertoire and an extensive bibliography.

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Awarded the legion d'Honneur by the French government in 2006 for his services to French culture, acclaimed writer and broadcaster Roger Nichols invites the reader to accompany him on his journey through the century-and-a-half turbulent and fertile period in the history of French music from Berlioz to Boulez. In compiling his collection of articles, interviews, radio plays and talks, Nichols begins with Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique and ends with his obituary of Pierre Boulez. Along the way, he includes in-depth studies of Debussy and Ravel, connecting the two by a comparison of their operatic masterpieces, Pelleas et Melisande and l'Enfant et les sortileges. Twenty other significant composers from this fascinating period come in for Nichols' hallmark combination of erudition and wit.

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Arguably the most important British post-minimalist composer, Gavin Bryars has worked in classical music, jazz, free improvisation, minimalism, historicism, avant-garde, and experimental music. This new book brings together musicians and academics who have worked with Bryars, each discussing one particular aspect of his work.

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What does it mean to understand music? What, if anything, does music mean? Composers, performers, listeners, and academics may answer these questions differently, but what sense of music do they share? When music seems unfamiliar or unlike anything we have heard before, we may say that we don't "like" it. How is taking pleasure from music related to understanding it? This book explores these and other issues as they arise in various musical contexts. Performers' interpretations may be filled with errors, after all, that then become part of a tradition; a composer's work may be variously assessed by his or her contemporaries - an account of how Beethoven's reputation was established so early is included - and how musical analysis can mislead as well as enhance understanding of a composition. Originally the content of three lectures given in Rome in 1993 - "The Frontiers of Nonsense", "How To Become Immortal" and "Explaining the Obvious" - this work offers a study of music, as text, as performance, and as listening experience.

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Robert Chesterman's interviews with conductors as celebrated as Leonard Bernstein, Claudio Abbado and Herbert von Karajan present fresh insights into their individual characters, their personal ideologies and their practical approaches - and in many cases, their private lives, their frank opinions of their fellow conductors - as well as into classical music in general.

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This book will prove to be of inestimable value to the student, the teacher and the professional trumpet player. It not only traces the development of the trumpet from the earliest times to the present day, but gives clear and concise practical instruction for playing instruments of the trumpet family, with numerous musical examples. Both experienced and aspiring trumpeters will be guided from the basic elements to the rediscovery of forgotten skills of the past. These include not only conventional trumpet and cornet playing but also directions regarding the art of "Clarino" playing with further instructions for Baroque trumpet, Renaissance cornetto, cavalry trumpet, bugle, coach horn, Flatt-trumpet, slide trumpet, keyed-trumpet, keyed bugle, cornopean, mutes and many more - all with photographic illustration. The history and mechanisms of even the most obscure instruments are examined, and guidance is also offered upon attitudes to breathing, relaxation, posture, presentation and the important subject of choosing a mouthpiece.Exercises are suggested for extending range and stamina and guidance provided to solving the problems encountered by many players at some time in their careers.

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These 48 interviews conducted during the 1980s and '90s with some of the great pianists of our time first appeared in the "Piano Journal" (published by the European Piano Teachers' Association). The contributors provide fascinating and illuminating insights about their experiences: their first encounters with the piano, then as students and later as performers and teachers - handing down ideas and traditions through the generations which is central to the world of piano teaching and performance.

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The undisputed pre-eminence of Paris as a centre of the piano world dates from the early 19th century, and the professors of the Paris Conservatoire transmitted the characteristic French style to each new generation for some 150 years. First published in 1992, this study surveys the historical development, performances practices, and pedagogical philosophies of this school of piano playing. The author studied with several proponents of the jeu perle, a French style of playing categorized by rapid, clean even passage-work, note after note. Over a 15-year period Charles Timbrell conducted more than 70 interviews with notable French pianists, many of them new to this edition and all of them frank and lively conversationalists, ranging from a 96-year old Paul Loyonnet - a link to the traditions of the 19th century - to emerging young talents at the turn of the millennium. Also included in this edition are the author's detailed recollections of his own lessons with such luminaries as Gaby Casadesus, Jeanne-Marie Darre, Monique Haas, Eric Heidsieck and Magda Tagliaferro.

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The biography of French composer, Halevy. The book contains excerpts from his diary, and also correspondence and photographs. Halevy is the composer of La Juive.

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Neuhaus taught at the Moscow Conservatory and his pupils included some of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century: Emil Gilels, Sviatoslav Richter, Nina Svetlanova, Alexei Lubimov and Radu Lupu. His legacy continues today and many teachers around the world regard this book as the most authoritative on the subject of piano playing.

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In Giving Voice to My Music, David Wordsworth's engrossing interviews take us into the world of twenty-four leading composers of choral music, composers for whom writing for choirs is central to their very existence. Here, they give voice to their inspirations, their passions and the challenges they have faced in working through the pandemic of 2020/21. They reveal how their life experiences have influenced their compositions, how they choose and relate to the texts they set, and how they interact with commissioners, singers and conductors alike. Enhanced by an extensive reference section and a revelatory list of the composers' own favourite pieces, readers will discover music that has enriched these composers' lives and encouraged their creativity. Giving Voice to my Music will be relished by singers, composers, conductors and above all audiences, for the new insights it offers into works that are already well-known but also for its introductions to new choral music that deserves to be better known.

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This definitive encyclopaedic work explores the origins of percussion through the development of the early drums and xylophones right up to the wide range of modern instruments and the sounds they make. James Blades covers these early developments globally from China and the Far East, India and Tibet, the early civilisations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome and Persia through to mediaeval and renaissance Europe. He continues to examine the role of percussion in the classical and romantic orchestras and finally looks at the ways composers have pushed the boundaries in modern music. Each chapter has its own photographs, illustrations and bibliography and there are comprehensive indices referencing all the composers and works discussed. This extended edition includes two important new chapters. The first covers the rise of the solo percussionist and is written by the world's leading practitioner and one of Blades' former pupils, Dame Evelyn Glennie, who also contributes a new Foreword, while recent developments in orchestral percussion are covered by Neil Percy, Head of Timpani and Percussion at the Royal Academy of Music and Principal Percussionist of the London Symphony Orchestra.

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This work encompasses Russian poetry, prose and theatre.

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Detailing the understanding and performance of the French mélodie, famous French baritone Pierre Bernac provides insight in this book for singers, accompanists, and concert-goers. Teamed with composer Francis Poulenc for more than 25 years, Bernac and Poulenc became legend as one of the first duos to be recognized as equals within the music arena. Texts and performance guidance for over 200 songs from 18 different composers including Fauré, Debussy and Poulenc are given in French with line-for-line translations in English. This comprehensive approach to the French repertoire also includes tips on pronunciation, performance, and interpretation.

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The contributors to this text are Grindea (piano), Havas (strings), Tausky (conducting), Nieman (composing), Gruner (voice), Howard (speech), Ben-Or (Alexander Technique), Lehrer (psychology), de Peyer (clarinet) and Jacobsen (tension control). The reprinted text also carries an additional chapter on guitar playing by Joseph O'Connor.

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Drawn from his long experience as a cathedral lay clerk and solo singer, Peter Giles provides a comprehensive guide, from the making of the first sounds to acquiring the complete technique. The vital aspects of resonance, different registers, breathing and vocal agility are all carefully explained, in words and also with special drawings created by the author. There are graded vocal exercises to encourage the production of the sounds that have been so thoroughly explained - it is in fact the complete manual for the teacher and the would-be countertenor.

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In examining the work of Theodor Adorno, this collection of essays focuses on the German philosopher's ideas in the field of musicology. Though it addresses complex theories, this inquiry maintains a lucid style, describing the nuances of Adorno's thought while not relying on a great deal of prior knowledge to shed light on his contributions to music theory. Included is a discussion of the applicability of Adorno's ideas to popular music and an assessment of Adorno's continuing relevance in light of other commentaries.

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Alkan: lonely 19th century genius, virtuoso pianist and also composer of some of the most difficult and disturbingly powerful piano music. After a long period of neglect his piano music is being discovered by an ever-widening public and played and recorded by some of the world's leading pianists. This edition, in two parts, was originally published in two separate volumes - the first dealth with the man, and the second was devoted solely to his music. With this reprint in one volume the books have been extensively revised, with two extra appendices added, and new bibliographies and discographies included.

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Harold Taylor draws on a combination of Alexander Technique and the teaching of pianist Raymond Thiberge to propound a piano method that is all about overall mental and physical coordination rather than analysing different elements of technique. Playing the piano, in this world, is not about the fingers, but about the whole body; it’s not about conquering the external obstacle of the piano, but about removing the internal obstacles with which we habitually distort or get in the way of ourselves.

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Sir Keith Falkner amasses the views of world authorities on singing in different musical contexts giving a broad overall picture of the mechanics, the art and craft of singing providing a comprehensive and detailed introduction to the voice. Part One: The Singer and the Voice deals with the fundamentals of using the voice. Part Two: Becoming a Singer covers the progress from the initial training of a singing voice to its exploitation in whatever the chosen context may be. Part Three: The Singers World features articles on singing in the principal Western languages. Finally, there are indispensable contributions by other famous and respected names from the world of singing including Sir Peter Pears, Thomas Allen, Frederick Lloyd, Sir Charles Groves, Gerald Moore, Tito Gobbi, Dame Janet Baker and Sir David Willcocks. These look at all facets of the voice giving expert advice and the benefit of their experience.

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Barry Tuckwell was, until his retirement, one of the world's leading horn virtuosos and thus eminently suited to writing this Guide. This versatile musician combines a soloists experience, an orchestral player's inside knowledge and a conductor's broad view of the horn and its music. He tells the fascinating story of the taming of the horn from a loud, rough signalling instrument to one that is mellow and emotive - described by Schumann as the soul of the orchestra. The history of the horn we know today is closely related to technical developments both in playing and in writing, and with a wealth of musical examples Barry Tuckwell tells us of these changes and the people who made them. He then deals with the difficulties of building and maintaining this difficult instrument, providing invaluable insights into the practicalities of the craft. Useful advice is given on all aspects of learning, practising and playing for the beginner, amateur and teacher. Finally the reader is given the benefit of an inside view of the life of a professional horn player, whether rehearsing, recording or performing live down to so basic (and easily overlooked) a consideration as fatigue - the players' need to spread the load - the explanation for what often seems to the concert-goer to be one more horn player than is necessary.

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This volume is an introduction to cello playing by an outstanding recitalist, soloist and teacher of international repute whose natural wish - as a teacher - would be to sing, play and demonstrate what he means. Devoted pupil, Nona Pyron, herself a figure of some authority in the world of the cello, has guided and marshalled William Pleeth's brilliantly perceptive advice - based on his lifetime's playing and teaching - into the confines of this valuable book.

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Michael Davidson - author of the highly acclaimed Mozart and the Pianist - casts new light on some of the most masterly sonatas written for the piano and on the uniqueness of these great compositions and their composers. Excepting the considerable literature on Beethoven, few studies are available which explore the interpretation of this much played repertoire. This study is not only a detailed look at fourteen sonatas; one can also learn more about other works by these composers and about aspects of 'style' - that magical quality which differentiates Haydn from Mozart, Beethoven from Schubert, Liszt from Brahms.

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Louis Kentner covers all aspects of the piano in this comprehensive and fascinating dissertation. As well as practical material there are pages of instruction on technique including a chapter on the use of the pedal, some hints on singing tone and legato, advice on practising, and a do-it-yourself guide to basic tuning. Kentner provides a penetrating analysis of much of Chopin's and Liszt's piano music and contributes a unique and detailed study of Beethoven's thirty-two piano sonatas. The book includes some selected further reading and a discography.

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Encompasses every aspect of the saxophone, including its history, the instrument, teaching and repertoire. The book also features music examples and photographs.

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The classical music of India, its history, instruments, musicians, and theory are thoroughly discussed in this copiously illustrated reference.

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This work deals with Nielsen's symphonies and other works, and also compares Nielsen and Sibelius as symphonists. Robert Simpson's book is the classic study of Nielsen's music ...Simpson excels in pointing out the particular aspects of each piece of music which mark it as one of Nielsen's, and describing how tonality is used within the major pieces (particularly the symphonies) in a revolutionary way.

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This text seeks to show that anarchy, as the absence of government, is neither chaos nor some Utopian dream, but a system which has characterized much of the human past.

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Offers an overview ot Italian music of the modern era - deals with the composers and the music they wrote.

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Deals with the lieder which Schubert set to the poetry of Mayrhofer.

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Vlado Perlemuter had the privilege, as a young man in 1927, of studying all of Ravel's solo piano music with the reclusive composer himself. The origins of this book lie in a series of programmes broadcast in 1950 by Radio Francaise in which Perlemuter played all Ravel's compositions for solo piano and discussed them with Helene Joudan-Morange - a distinguished violinist who had been one of Ravel's closest friends. This is a transcript of their conversations supplemented with numerous musical examples. This edition also deals with the two piano concertos. The value of Ravel According to Ravel is obvious, but the comprehensive background notes which are woven into the conversational fabric give it a much wider appeal. Performers and listeners alike will find it a fascinating guide to the magical sound-world of Ravel's piano music.

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Originally entitled Musicology, in this work musicians are shown how to perform concertos by Vivaldi and his contemporaries in a way that would be recognized and encouraged by their composers. In addition, the key role of Sir Thomas Beecham as a pioneer in early music receives its proper credit and appreciation.

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Janáček wrote regular articles for the Brno daily paper and in these he expressed his attitude and feelings towards the everyday things in nature and human situations which had commanded his attention. The sounds he heard, especially the human voice, he annotated with musical sketches and these appear in this book in his own words and serve to illuminate the works which this great composer produced. The thirty-odd articles are grouped under Memories of Youth, The Sounds of Music, Travel, Birds, while included under Operatic Studies is a fascinating account of the origins of The Cunning Little Vixen. The book also contains some rare photographs and music examples, many in Janáček's own hand.

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Who better to write an authoritative yet fascinating introduction to flute playing than Sir James Galway whose glittering career extends from principal flute in the Berlin Philharmonic to the top of the international pop music charts? His unique advice and experience is brought to bear on the problems and techniques of learning, practicing and playing - in solo, ensemble, at home, in concert and in the recording studio.

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Lionel Tertis was internationally recognised to have been perhaps the greatest viola player of all time. That the viola is today an important solo instrument and orchestral unit is entirely his achievement, and his design of a large but easily manageable viola - the Tertis Model - has laid the foundations for a standard-sized instrument. The author describes his prodigious career with vigour and a remarkable recall of detail. The musicians and composers, many of them his close friends of whom he writes, include some of the most important in twentieth century music. A comprehensive bibliography of works written for solo viola is included as is a complete discography of the author's solo recordings.

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'Ingenious, elegant, and pleasing - a treat for the most refined listeners and critical judges of musical composition'. Thus wrote Charles Burney in the 18th century about the music of Luigi Boccherini. Here, three centuries later, the renowned cellist Steven Isserlis, in his Foreword to Luigi Boccherini - Musica Amorosa, invites you to enter anew that world of 'sweet, joyous clarity' and 'fathomless beauty' that endow Boccherini's rococo style. 'This', says Isserlis, 'is the music of angels'. Born in 1743 in Italy, in Lucca, famed for its long and distinguished musical tradition, Boccherini spent two thirds of his life in Spain, a vibrant influence that perfuses many of his works. A composer of symphonies, chamber music and vocal works, he excelled as well in creating many sonatas and concertos for the cello. A pioneer in his day of modern cello playing, Boccherini introduced techniques that greatly heightened the cello's range and depth of expression. Incorporating recent international research, this comprehensive new biography sets the composer in his historical context during the turbulent social changes that accompanied the end of the ancien regime and the dawn of the republican era.

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During a career spanning more than 50 years, pianist Helmut Deutsch has accompanied over 100 singers, including Ian Bostridge, Grace Bumbry, Diana Damrau, Brigitte Fassbaender, Jonas Kaufmann, Angelika Kirchschlager, Camilla Nylund, Christoph Pregardien, Mauro Peter, Hermann Prey, Thomas Quasthoff, Yumiko Samejima, Peter Schreier, Irmgard Seefried and Anne Sofie von Otter. Translated from the German by Richard Stokes, professor of lieder at the Royal Academy of Music, this memoir describes, with humour, honesty and intelligence, Helmut Deutsch's journey from unknown repetiteur to one of the most refined and sought-after accompanists of the modern era, respected by the leading singers of our time, who make music with him and revere him as a great artist and strong musical partner. In this engaging and entertaining account, Deutsch offers fascinating insights into pianistic technique, repertoire, performance, interpersonal relationships, and the special qualities required for his profession: empathy, flexibility, sensitivity, patience and the ability to stand back in the service of others. Deutsch is a captivating narrator, frank and entertaining. From out of tune pianos to jealous singers, his memoir teems with anecdotes and reflections on his multi-faceted life as a musician, offering readers a glimpse of unforgettable moments on and off stage without a trace of vanity.

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This work is part of a series of comprehensive practical guides for the solo piano. A reference book for all levels - amateur, student, teacher and professional - the purpose of the series is to help pianists with their choice of music to suit their own styles and capabilities, and to discuss their technical and interpretive demands. This volume provides a complete survey of Chopin's music for solo piano, including a graded list of his works together with detailed suggestions for study and performance. An extended introduction places Chopin in the context of his time, distancing him from the romantic misconceptions that have dogged his reputation through successive generations.

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Discussing the solo piano music of Joseph Haydn, the leading composer of the Classical period, this complete survey includes a graded list of all of these works as well as detailed and constructive suggestions for study and performance. A lengthy introduction discusses the life, times, and the essential style of his piano writing. A reference book for pianists of any level, this volume is illustrated with numerous musical examples.

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