This series delves into music and musical life from the late 19th century to the present day. It encompasses historical and biographical studies focusing on the context of composition, alongside analytical works exploring musical language and compositional processes. Emphasis is placed on the circumstances surrounding music creation, including patronage, publishing practices, and the musical life of various nations. The collection offers a comprehensive perspective on the evolution of modern music.
The correspondence between John Cage and Peter Yates represents the final part of Cage's three most significant exchanges of letters. Cage argued 'composing's one thing, performing's another, listening's a third': in this exchange he engages directly with the last part of that triad of musical... číst celé
A definitive source study of the stage works of Harrison Birtwistle, one of Britain's foremost living composers.
Alastair Williams argues that the social transformations of 1968 led to a new phase of art music in Germany.
This book explores the historical-cultural interactions between French concert music and American jazz across 1900-65, from both perspectives.
Jack Boss presents detailed analyses of Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone pieces, bringing the composer's 'musical idea' - problem, elaboration, solution - to life.
Marilyn Nonken finds precedent in the works of pianist-composers Liszt, Scriabin and Debussy for spectral attitudes towards the musical experience.
Thomas Schuttenhelm's book presents an investigation into Michael Tippett's creative process and a comprehensive critical commentary on his orchestral music.
The first in-depth historical analysis of British art music post-1945, providing a group-portrait of eleven composers ranging from avant-garde to pop.
Tracing the history of musical modernism in Italy from the fin de siecle to the Cold War, this book follows the work of Luigi Dallapiccola, the leading Italian composer of the mid-twentieth century, as he moved from support for the fascist regime to a committed resistance to totalitarianism.
The 'prequel' to Schoenberg's Twelve-Tone Music (Cambridge, 2014), this book demonstrates that the term 'atonal' is effective in describing Schoenberg's music from 1908-21. Written for music scholars, performers and conductors, it features detailed analyses that will help them understand the core logic of some of the most difficult pieces of music.
Prokofiev's last four operas are major works of his career in the Soviet Union, yet the original versions remain unfamiliar since they exist only in manuscript form. This book offers bold new interpretations, draws on a wide range of primary and secondary sources, and includes comparisons with works of literature, film, and theatre.