Books about 20th/21st Century Composers

[torut]

I like the Lebrecht book but it is very opinionated. I wrote to him saying that I thought that he was wrong to be so dismissive of Honegger's 5th Symphony and he replied saying that he would listen to it again - so at least he is open to other opinions.

That's a nice story. I tend to guess that assertive authors are usually stubborn.
Do you have the 2nd edition (2000)? About 40 pages had been added. I was thinking of replacing my copy of the 1996 version with it, but I am not sure if it is worthwhile. Plenty of good information about new composers is available on the internet, but still it is nice to have this kind of book for skimming over.

[vandermolen]

That's a nice story. I tend to guess that assertive authors are usually stubborn.
Do you have the 2nd edition (2000)? About 40 pages had been added. I was thinking of replacing my copy of the 1996 version with it, but I am not sure if it is worthwhile. Plenty of good information about new composers is available on the internet, but still it is nice to have this kind of book for skimming over.

I have the earlier book in hardback but bought the newer version a while back. I tend to use the old version more for browsing, so I don't think that the extra money justifies the purchase of the newer version and I rather regret getting it.

[torut]

Kyle Gann - American Music in the Twentieth Century



http://www.amazon.com/American-Music-Twentieth-Century-Kyle/dp/002864655X/ref=la_B001HD43N4_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394721020&sr=1-5

I finished reading the book. It's an invaluable guide to the 20th century American music, from Ives to Larry Polansky (just naming composers to whom major sections are dedicated) and many others. I listened to the music of composers as I read about them, thanks to youtube, soundcloud, composers' web sites with lots of audio clips, and digital download stores, which make the music easily accessible. I found so many wonderful composers who I didn't know or I only heard of. Some composers' works are difficult to assimilate (Oliveros, Rouse, Vierk, etc.), but it's a nice thing because that indicates the richness of American music and I can explorer them later. I still have not heard works of a few composers mentioned in the book. A greatly enjoyable and useful book.

[Mirror Image]

Phaidon Press has a great series of 20th Century books that I've been trying to collect. Right now, I've been reading the one on Schnittke (written by Alexander Ivashkin) and it's a bit lop-sided due to Ivashkin's own friendship with the composer, but it's still a very good read nonetheless.

[EigenUser]

Phaidon Press has a great series of 20th Century books that I've been trying to collect. Right now, I've been reading the one on Schnittke (written by Alexander Ivashkin) and it's a bit lop-sided due to Ivashkin's own friendship with the composer, but it's still a very good read nonetheless.

I borrowed the one on Webern from the library, but I have yet to read it (the library at my university has a great music section and I always bite off more than I can chew -- my first day back I brought along a duffel bag!).

[Mirror Image]

I borrowed the one on Webern from the library, but I have yet to read it (the library at my university has a great music section and I always bite off more than I can chew -- my first day back I brought along a duffel bag!).

Cool, I'm anxious to read the one on Ligeti. After Schnittke, I'll probably read that one.

The ones I own so far:

Stravinsky
Bartok
Ligeti
Schnittke
Polish Renaissance (Lutoslawski, Penderecki, Panufnik, Gorecki)
Britten
Hindemith, Hartmann, Henze

[EigenUser]

Cool, I'm anxious to read the one on Ligeti. After Schnittke, I'll probably read that one.

The ones I own so far:

Stravinsky
Bartok
Ligeti
Schnittke
Polish Renaissance (Lutoslawski, Penderecki, Panufnik, Gorecki)
Britten
Hindemith, Hartmann, Henze

Oh, I forgot! That must have been the Toop biography, then (which I read last year).

[Artem]

That book on late Stravinsky certainly looks interesting. Is it accessible to the mere aficionado?

On the other hand, the précis of Maconie's book (..."Stravinsky lived much of his life in Hollywood"..."his work subtly espoused deeply held political views"...etc.) doesn't really generate much enthusiasm in me, I must confess. 

Does anyone know this book? It better be fantastic, because at almost $100,  it's not really cheap, is it?  :

[asin]1107033292[/asin]

This book is now available in soft cover with a much more affordable price. I picked my copy for 26 Canadian dollars.

I'm only 10 pages into it. Seems interesting but the writing is a bit stiff.

[San Antone]

Good news.  I bought the Kindle version when I saw the price.

[torut]

I ordered it, thank you. The Music Since 1900 series looks interesting, to me especially these three. Has anyone read any of them? They are still expensive, but the paperback of Cage/Tudor Correspondence will be published on March 5. The main chapters of the German book are dedicated to Lachenmann and Rihm. I don't know of books that are devoted to these composers.

Music in Germany since 1968 by Alastair Williams
[asin]0521877598[/asin]

John Cage and David Tudor: Correspondence on Interpretation and Performance by Dr Martin Iddon
[asin]1107507804[/asin]

The Spectral Piano: From Liszt, Scriabin, and Debussy to the Digital Age by Marilyn Nonken
[asin]1107018544[/asin]

[Artem]

Music in Germany since 1968 does look interesting. But at $100?! I'll probably wait a year or so for a paperback

[Artem]

So, I finished this one.
It was worth reading. I had no idea that there was so much drama in Darmstadt. I hope there will be more books on Darmstadt and its composers in future, because despite of the "difficult music", the relationship between composers and other people involved with the institution can be interesting even to the general public.

[Ken B]

So, I finished this one.
It was worth reading. I had no idea that there was so much drama in Darmstadt. I hope there will be more books on Darmstadt and its composers in future, because despite of the "difficult music", the relationship between composers and other people involved with the institution can be interesting even to the general public.

Dysfunction sells.

[Karl Henning]

So, I finished this one.
It was worth reading. I had no idea that there was so much drama in Darmstadt.

The drama does not surprise me in the least.  (FWIW)

Dysfunction sells.

Unfortunately (IMO) true.

[Mr Bloom]

There isn't really a good book for a newbie. Ross, Lebrecht and Taruskin (Oxford History of Western Music vols. 4 & 5) have very journalistic styles—accessible for sure, but partial, sensationalised and biased.

I've only read vol. 4 and some portions of vol. 5, but to say that Taruskin have a very journalistic style is quite misleading, especially in comparaison to Lebrecht and Ross. Although they are indeed necessarily partial, most of the volumes are made of exemplified musical analysis, which aren't "journalistic" at all. They are cleary not meant for the general audience, contrary to Ross' books.
Vol. 5 is much more controversial, but there is nothing in vol. 4 that is "sensationalised" (unless you consider that being cautious toward Webern's case is "sensational" writing) or overly biased. Even more, I think the book is much more conventional and un-sensationalised than Taruskin himself would want it to be.

Unless you have access to academic "history of music" classes, I still think vol. 4. is probably the best introduction to the first half of the XXth century you could get right now if you have basic knowledge in music theory. It is far from perfect and it is uneven, but it covers lots of ground with a particular logic that is based on actual musical analysis (most of them being quite "canon" analysis).

[EigenUser]

Has anyone (particularly Messiaen fans) heard of the book Messiaen's Final Works?
[asin]0754606333[/asin]

I've had it checked out from my university's library for months, but I just started reading through parts of it. Fans of Eclairs sur l'au-dela definitely should consider this. It has a huge section on that work and it is really giving me a new appreciation for it. It is very easily-read and not too technical for someone with little-to-no background in theory (there is some theory, but it can be skipped without loss of continuity).

I wish it had Des Canyons aux Etoiles..., though...

[San Antone]

Has anyone (particularly Messiaen fans) heard of the book Messiaen's Final Works?
[asin]0754606333[/asin]

I've had it checked out from my university's library for months, but I just started reading through parts of it. Fans of Eclairs sur l'au-dela definitely should consider this. It has a huge section on that work and it is really giving me a new appreciation for it. It is very easily-read and not too technical for someone with little-to-no background in theory (there is some theory, but it can be skipped without loss of continuity).

I wish it had Des Canyons aux Etoiles..., though...

Never seen it, but thanks very much for the information.  Too expensive for my personal library, but I will probably get it from my library and take a look at it.  Very interested in those works, for sure.  I am listening to Eclairs sur l'au-dela right now.  Do you have a preferred recording?  There are four on Spotify and I am beginning with Sylvain Cambreling and the SWR Symphony Orchrestra.

[EigenUser]

Never seen it, but thanks very much for the information.  Too expensive for my personal library, but I will probably get it from my library and take a look at it.  Very interested in those works, for sure.  I am listening to Eclairs sur l'au-dela right now.  Do you have a preferred recording?  There are four on Spotify and I am beginning with Sylvain Cambreling and the SWR Symphony Orchrestra.

I love this recording. I haven't heard enough to compare, but the one with the Vienna Philharmonic is also good (also on Spotify).

[Wieland]

To everyone really interested in the music of Mieczyslaw Weinberg, I recommend this short (240 p) and well written biography by David Fanning. If you have a couple of Weinberg CDs you may know him already as a booklet author. This is supposedly a pre-study to a big biography which he is working on, however, for most people probably this will do. Unfortunately, still pricey.
[asin]3936000913[/asin]

[vandermolen]

David Fanning was unfairly (in my view) dismissive of the Miaskovsky biography above which I found excellent.

I always liked Schoenzeler's short book on Bruckner, 'A Fire at Heart's Centre' which is about Bernard Herrmann and the autobiography of Arthur Bliss entitled 'As I Remember'. Omnibus Press did a great illustrated series on individual composers which I like very much by different authors, I have the ones on Sibelius, Vaughan Williams, Bliss, Holst, Rachmaninov and Elgar. 'Elgar as I Knew Him' by WH Reed is also excellent.