Books on Classical Music : Recommending / Considering

Started by Papy Oli, June 03, 2007, 10:13:37 AM

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SonicMan46

Quote from: Florestan on June 13, 2022, 07:41:58 AM
Nice aquarelle on the cover.

I've greatly enjoyed very recently these two:



Hi Andrei - just ordered a used copy of The Early Romantic Era - could not find any reviews so I hope you enjoyed it?   ???  Dave

Brian

#141
Any thoughts on the author Stephen Walsh? His new book, out this week, is advertised as a sweeping 400-page history of the risk takers and innovators of the romantic era.



Edit: just saw that San Antone had praise for his single-composer biographies a few pages ago.

vers la flamme

Quote from: SonicMan46 on June 14, 2022, 07:07:09 AM
Hi Andrei - just ordered a used copy of The Early Romantic Era - could not find any reviews so I hope you enjoyed it?   ???  Dave

Me too! It looked very interesting and I managed to snag a copy for $5 with free shipping. Better not let us down Andrei  :laugh:

USMC1960s

Any thoughts on the Jan Swofford biography of Mozart?

Scion7

I've got it, but haven't read it yet.  This is 12th bio on him I have, so haven't been in a hurry over it.  I think we could all well do without it, considering the amount of trees already killed over this composer - if he had spent the energy on, for example, Cyril Scott - how much more exciting a book announcement that would have been.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

USMC1960s

#145
What biographies of Mozart would you recommend, of the ones you have?

SonicMan46

Quote from: Dave B on December 01, 2022, 05:04:37 AMWhat biographies of Mozart would you recommend, of the ones you have?

Hi Dave - over the decades I've read well over a dozen books on Mozart, many given away to a local charity for their book sale; but the ones below remain on my shelf - not sure the topics are what you are after but I enjoyed all. Dave :)

     


SonicMan46

Quote from: Dave B on December 01, 2022, 07:03:54 AMThanks very much

Dave - the Swafford book on Wolfie is just an $11+ Kindle buy on Amazon - published in 2020 but stated to be 800+ pages (in the printed versions) - with my aging eyes and lessened attention span I tend to avoid books much over 400 pages - BUT, for those who have read this book please provide some details, e.g. is there a LOT of musicological analyses w/ pages of scores and is the latest Köchel updated catalog provided?  Thanks - Dave


Scion7

Quote from: Dave B on December 01, 2022, 05:04:37 AMWhat biographies of Mozart would you recommend, of the ones you have?

Do you have any bios on him at this time?
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

USMC1960s


Scion7

Quote from: Dave B on December 01, 2022, 10:09:48 AMNot on hand. Have looked at quite a few.

Check your personal msg's.  I've sent you the chapter on Mozart from R.A. Leonard's seminal work,
The Stream of Music (1944) (1953).  That's a fine place to start, mate.    :)
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."


SimonNZ

Have H.C. Robbins-Landon's Mozart books fallen out of favor?

SonicMan46

Quote from: Brian on October 11, 2022, 05:08:13 PMAny thoughts on the author Stephen Walsh? His new book, out this week, is advertised as a sweeping 400-page history of the risk takers and innovators of the romantic era.



Edit: just saw that San Antone had praise for his single-composer biographies a few pages ago.

RE-POST: Brian asked about the book above a few months ago - I was interested but no comments have been left - anyone have experience to post impressions?  Thanks - Dave :)

T. D.


SimonNZ

Quote from: T. D. on December 08, 2022, 06:54:40 PM

^while I was driving today I heard the host on the classical station talking about the poor reception Dvorak got in America for saying positive things about the future of black music.

...which I hadn't heard before today.

Have you read that book? Would you recommend it?

Brian

Quote from: SimonNZ on December 08, 2022, 07:50:26 PM^while I was driving today I heard the host on the classical station talking about the poor reception Dvorak got in America for saying positive things about the future of black music.

...which I hadn't heard before today.

Have you read that book? Would you recommend it?
I have not read this book but am very interested, because it is a subject that could easily fill a book-length treatment. I wrote a college paper about Dvorak's attempts to foster an American musical style based on Native melodies, black spirituals, and black folk music. He taught at least one black composition student but in general his counsel was very poorly received by prejudiced Americans. Ultimately, he was of course proven right, but in other musical genres, black Americans mostly not being content to adhere to styles other people had invented.

One book for us to read or reread in conjunction with this one is the novella "Quicksand" by Nella Larsen, where the mixed-race protagonist becomes homesick for the USA at a performance of Dvorak's Ninth.

Scion7

When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."