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Books > Music > Composers & musicians
Offering insight into the creative processes of a contemporary
composer, "Tinman" presents 150 vignettes from author David Cope's
life. Some of the notable individuals discussed in this innovative
biography are John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez,
Aaron Copland, Warren Zevon, Carl Sagan, Frank Drake, Douglas
Hofstadter, Arthur Knight, Danny Glover, Steven Spielberg, George
Lucas, Dorothy Freeman, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and Philip
Jos Farmer. "Tinman" offers a fond music journey including two
encounters with Bach, Rachmaninoff's classic "Prelude in isharp
minor," Beethoven's "Fifth Symphony," Pierre Boulez, and the
sadness of Igor Stravinsky's death.
The title, borrowed from L. Frank Baum's book "The Wizard of Oz,"
is an aphorism affectionately attached to Cope in the late 1990s.
The reference reflects the many attitudes about his work with his
computer music program, "Experiments in Musical Intelligence";
critics felt the results of this program lack heart.
Though "Tinman" covers many other aspects of Cope's life-from his
love of the cello, to his days as a graduate student at the
University of Southern California, and to his work as a composer,
author, and teacher-the main theme centers on his search for
self-identity.
Drawing upon an extensive selection of rare letters, reviews and
memoirs, Kenneth Birkin sets Hans von Bulow's work as a recitalist,
chamber-music artist and orchestral conductor at the centre of a
disturbed and eventful life. Bulow's Zukunftsmusik advocacy and
ruthless criticism of performance standards in Berlin and Munich
antagonised a musical 'establishment' nonetheless spellbound by his
keyboard and orchestral mastery. Birkin pays particular attention
to the Tristan and Meistersinger premieres, Cosima's desertion, the
European and American tours and operatic activities in Hamburg and
Hanover, as well as Bulow's pedagogic activities and forays into
musical journalism. The book makes liberal use of Bulow's
correspondence, published and unpublished, which personalises the
narrative. Contemporary comments and reviews, translated here for
the first time, give the reader an insight into the critical and
public reaction. An extensive Appendix records the dates and venues
of all Bulow's public appearances, both as pianist and conductor.
Choice Magazine (a major library review magazine): "After an
introductory section on the history of the piano, particularly as
reflected in and influenced by works of the major composers for the
instrument, this interesting and informative book describes various
compositional "schools," from Austro-German, French, and Italian
through English, American, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, and others.
This section constitutes a brief course in music history beginning
with the Renaissance. ... The body of the work consists of
historical and stylistic sketches of 17 composers, with brief
remarks about several works of each, and lists of selected works,
ending with a complete work or movement. These sketches are
exceptionally well written, assuming an intelligent reader, and
convey a great deal of information concisely.... this book contains
much well-organized and useful material. For libraries serving
serious amateur pianists, high school upward. ******************
Booklist (The book review magazine of the American Library
Association): This authoritative volume will make a solid addition
to the public library music collection. After offering a brief
opening chapter on the evolution of the piano as instrument and the
changing styles of technique, author Pat Hammond provides
opinionated but well-reasoned analyses of the works of the major
piano composers, with focus on the Baroque era (Bach and Handel),
the Classical age (Haydn, Mozart Beethoven), Romanticism (Schubert,
Chopin Liszt, and others), Impressionism (Debussy) and Modernism
(Bartok). This book's unique feature is its inclusion of musical
examples of each composer's work, which are meant to be played as
one reads along. Pertinent biographical material is also featured
for the great masters. Appendixes include a suggested
twentieth-century piano repertoire and a bibliography. Piano music
- Bibliography ******************* Clavier Magazine "Compiled and
annotated by Patricia Fallows-Hammond. Suitable as a reference
source, this handbook supplies concise biographical and stylistic
sketches of composers and annotation of selected compositions. ...
Fallows-Hammond has a knack for setting and maintaining an
appropriate level of sophistication. Writing in a crisp, direct
style, she steers the student toward complicated subjects and gives
them a palpable hold on them. To explain the concept of the
concerto grosso, for example, she explains that, "In Handel's time,
Concerto Crosso meant a small group of instruments playing in
contrast to a larger body of strings." Her synopsis of the
development of sonata form is equally apt....Commentary on the
composers is well-researched and written at a uniform level of
detail that will make it useful to a wide
audience....Fallows-Hammond does a good job of compiling accurate
information on the composers she has chosen. If the contents of the
book serve your purposes, you will find this handbook a handy
reference source. " **************** The American Organist "The
author has created a self-instruction course which gives
information about the evolution of the piano and changing styles in
piano technique, and then discusses topics with emphasis on special
composers: ..... Piano students seeking background information will
profit from this book. Recommended for public libraries."
******************** Keyboard Magazine "Patricia Fallow-Hammond's
302 page study embraces the proposition that historical context is
an important, and frequently neglected, element in building an
understanding of classical repertoire. .... she has assembled a
fairly basic catalogue of keyboard works, arranged chronologically
by composer, and preceded each list with a short biography relating
milestones from each composer's life. ....... Her decision to
further enlighten the reader with short samples of their handiwork
is a happy extra addition. Her efficiency at summarizing and
packaging that line is what makes her debut in print a success."
Quyen Van Minh (b. 1954) is not only a jazz saxophonist and
lecturer at the prestigious Vietnam National Academy of Music, but
he is also one of the most preeminent jazz musicians in Vietnam.
Considered a pioneer in the country, Minh is often publicly
recognized as the "godfather of Vietnamese jazz." Playing Jazz in
Socialist Vietnam tells the story of the music as it intertwined
with Minh's own narrative. Stan BH Tan-Tangbau details Minh's life
story, telling how Minh pioneered jazz as an original genre even
while navigating the trials and tribulations of a fervent socialist
revolution, of the ideological battle that was the Cold War, of
Vietnam's war against the United States, and of the political
changes during the Doi Moi period between the mid-1980s and the
1990s. Minh worked tirelessly and delivered two breakthrough solo
recitals in 1988 and 1989, marking the first time jazz was
performed in the public sphere in the socialist state. To gain jazz
acceptance as a mainstream musical art form, Minh founded Minh Jazz
Club. With the release of his debut album of original compositions
in 2000, Minh shaped the nascent genre of Vietnamese jazz. Minh's
endeavors kickstarted the momentum, from his performing jazz in
public, teaching jazz both formally and informally, and
contributing to the shaping of an original Vietnamese voice to
stand out among the many styles in the jazz world. Most
importantly, Minh generated a public space for musicians to play
and for the Vietnamese to listen. His work eventually helped to
gain jazz the credibility necessary at the national conservatoire
to offer instruction in a professional music education program.
The central image of David Bowie's "Life on Mars?" could have been
ripped from his own experience: a child sits "hooked to the silver
screen," reliving fantastical scenes played out on film. Throughout
his life, Bowie was similarly transfixed by the power of film. From
his first film role in The Image to his final music video before
his death, "Lazarus," Bowie's musical output has long been
intrinsically linked to images. Analyzing Bowie's music videos,
planned film projects, acting roles, and depictions in film, David
Bowie and the Moving Image provides a comprehensive view of Bowie's
work with film and informs our understanding of all areas of his
work, from music to fashion to visual art. It enters the debate
about Bowie's artistic legacy by addressing Bowie as musician,
actor, and auteur.
Examining, for the first time, the compositions of Johann Joseph
Fux in relation to his contemporaries Bach and Handel, The Musical
Discourse of Servitude presents a new theory of the late baroque
musical imagination. Author Harry White contrasts musical
"servility" and "freedom" in his analysis, with Fux tied to the
prevailing servitude of the day's musical imagination, particularly
the hegemonic flowering of North Italian partimento method across
Europe. In contrast, both Bach and Handel represented an autonomy
of musical discourse, with Bach exhausting generic models in the
mass and Handel inventing a new genre in the oratorio. A potent
critique of Lydia Goehr's seminal The Imaginary Museum of Musical
Works, The Musical Discourse of Servitude draws on Goehr's
formulation of the "work-concept" as an imaginary construct which,
according to Goehr, is an invention of nineteenth-century reception
history. White locates this concept as a defining agent of automony
in Bach's late works, and contextualized the "work-concept" itself
by exploring rival concepts of political, religious, and musical
authority which define the European musical imagination in the
first half of the eighteenth century. A major revisionist statement
about the musical imagination in Western art music, The Musical
Discourse of Servitude will be of interest to scholars of the
Baroque, particularly of Bach and Handel.
A profile of Buffalo Springfield, a group whose members included
Neil Young and Stephen Stills. Though acknowledged as a talented
and adventurous group of the late-60s, they did not achieve
international success. This book gives insight into the group and
the American music scene of the 60s.
The spectacular revival of serious music in England is a chief
feature of the history of British culture from the turn of the
twentieth century and after. For some two centuries the art form
had stagnated in England, which was referred to, notoriously, by a
German commentator as 'the land without music'. But then came a
great renaissance. In the three linked essays that make up this
book, Keith Alldritt, the most recent biographer of Vaughan
Williams, examines the several phases and genres of this revival. A
number of composers including Gustav Holst, Arnold Bax and William
Walton contributed to the renewal. But this book presents the
renaissance as centrally a continuity of enterprise, sometimes of
riposte, running from Elgar to Vaughan Williams and then to
Benjamin Britten. Their concern was with music at its most serious,
though not unceasingly humourless. All three explored music's
frontier with philosophy. They also probed the psychological impact
of the unprecedently violent and destructive century in which they
practised their art. Going beyond musicological comment, England
Resounding essays insights into the historical, geopolitical and
personal events that elicited the major works of these three great
composers.
This in-depth, research-based book profiles the band that shaped a
generation and changed the face of music forever. What makes a
legend? The Beatles: A Musical Biography attempts to answer that
question by taking an in-depth look at the band that changed pop
music. Examining the events and ideas that influenced each album
and many songs, the book seeks to explain what drove the Beatles to
make music, as well as what drove the music itself. While the
biography covers the musical history and achievements of the band,
it also looks at what was happening in the lives of John, Paul,
George, and Ringo during the Beatle years, exploring their personal
drives and aspirations and their relationships with each other.
Readers will come away from this book with a far better
appreciation of the Lads from Liverpool-and of what was really
going on underneath those oh-so-controversial haircuts. Ten
original photos depict the Beatles from their humble beginnings to
the height of their success An epilogue discusses the period after
the breakup A timeline features major events and achievements of
the Beatles Includes discographies of singles and albums and a list
of awards
Through an examination of her music, videos, philanthropic work,
and biographical details, this book gives insight into Alanis
Morissette's musical career and day-to-day life, from her early pop
beginnings in Canada to her work today. As a whole, Alanis
Morissette's work has never been critically analyzed. The Words and
Music of Alanis Morissette addresses this oversight through its
examination of Morissette's work in the context of biographical
facts, its relationship to other cultural trends, and its
reflection of the female perspective. This book merges biographical
information with a critical examination of the music that she
produced and performed during all periods of her life, thereby
providing a needed overview of Morissette's body of work. All
Morissette fans will appreciate learning about the details of her
life, but the author's melding of the star's personal life story
with an informed analysis of popular music will also appeal to a
wider audience-readers interested in music, culture, women's
studies, or female musicians, for example. The book provides
entertaining and engrossing reading for any Alanis Morissette fan
and serves as a resource that documents her broad contributions to
the music industry. Provides a study of subject matter far beyond
Morissette's blockbuster album, Jagged Little Pill, with coverage
extending to 2012's Havoc and Bright Lights Situates Morissette
alongside noteworthy female singer-songwriters with roots extending
back to the 1960s Traces the origins of Morissette's music in pop,
grunge, and electronic dance music Explains how Morissette's
enormous appeal among fans lies largely in their identification
with details that she shared about her life and experiences
Rocking the Wall explores the epic Bruce Springsteen concert in
East Berlin on July 19, 1988, and how it changed the world. Erik
Kirschbaum spoke to scores of fans and concert organizers on both
sides of the Berlin Wall, including Jon Landau, Springsteen's
long-time friend and manager, to unearth this fascinating story.
With lively behind-the-scenes details from eyewitness accounts,
magazine and newspaper clippings, TV recordings, and even Stasi
files, as well as photos and memorabilia, this gripping book
transports you back in the middle of those heady times shortly
before the Berlin Wall fell and gives you a front-row spot at one
of the biggest and most exciting rock concerts ever, anywhere. It
takes you to an unforgettable journey with Springsteen through the
divided city, to his hotel, and his dressing room at the open air
concert grounds in Weissensee, where The Boss, live on stage,
delivered a courageous speech against the Wall to a record-breaking
crowd of more than 300,000 delirious young East Germans full of joy
and hope. Their thunderous reaction to his speech was so intense
that it even briefly brought tears to Springsteen's eyes. And their
tremendous, powerful cry for freedom became the "final nail in the
coffin" of the Communist regime and subsequently helped fuel the
uprising that brought down the Wall.
Erik Kirschbaum, a native of New York City and long-time
Springsteen fan, has lived in Germany for more than twenty-five
years and in Berlin since 1993. He is a correspondent for the
Reuters international news agency and has written about
entertainment, politics, sports, economics, as well as disasters
and climate change in nearly thirty countries. He is a devoted
father of four, an enthusiastic cyclist, a solar power entrepreneur
and an unabashed crusader for renewable energy. Rocking the Wall is
his third book.
Praise for Rocking The Wall
Inside this book is as clear a statement of the power of this
music as anyone, ever, has come up with." -Dave Marsh
"An illuminating and impressively detailed examination of a
frequently overlooked moment in the nexus of rock music and
political liberation. I learned a great deal and enjoyed doing so."
-Eric Alterman
Author Mark Beaumont met and interviewed Jay Z in 2009 and many
quotes from that interview feature in this biography. Includes
interviews with Kanye West, Chris Martin, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J,
Damon Dash, Dr Dre, Rick Rubin and many others. Details his early
life, his Father abandoning him, his accidental shooting of his
brother and his delving into cocaine dealing. The launch of his
Roc-A-Fella record label and his subsequent album releases
including the platinum selling In My Life and Hard Knock Life. His
alleged involvement in the stabbing of record executive Lance
Riviera, the trial and his three year probation sentence. How he
became the CEO of Def Jam Recordings (one of his first signings was
Rihanna) His relationship and marriage to Beyonce Knowles. His
entrepreneurial skills from launching his own Rocawear clothing and
accessories line, his New York club 40/40 and his rumoured
investments in real estate and football clubs. Brings the story
right up to date to include his performance at Glastonbury in 2008,
the Haiti aid single Stranded, his concerts with Eminem, his Watch
The Throne EP release with Kanye West and his supporting U2 on
their World Tour.
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger
Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain
imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed
pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we
have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting,
preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger
Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and
hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone
(Amadeus). This book explains in vivid picturesque detail why we
still listen with admiration to the work of these men, and how
their personalities and the era in which they lived affected their
music. The accompanying CD includes a sampling of their music from
masterworks such as Appalachian Spring and The Unanswered Question
to less common gems and includes guided listenings of exactly how
the pieces work.
Just after recording with John Coltrane in 1963, baritone singer
Johnny Hartman (1923-1983) told a family member that "something
special" occurred in the studio that day. He was right - the album,
containing definitive readings of "Lush Life" and "My One and Only
Love," resides firmly in the realm of iconic; forever enveloping
listeners in the sounds of romance. In The Last Balladeer, author
Gregg Akkerman skillfully reveals not only the intimate details of
that album but the life-long achievements and occasional missteps
of Hartman as an African-American artist dedicated to his craft.
This book carefully follows the journey of the Grammy-nominated
vocalist from his big band origins with Earl Hines and Dizzy
Gillespie to featured soloist in prestigious supper clubs
throughout the world. Through exclusive interviews with Hartman's
family and fellow musicians (including Tony Bennett, Billy Taylor,
Kurt Elling, Jon Hendricks, and others), accounts from friends and
associates, newly discovered recordings and studio outtakes, and
in-depth research on his career and personal life, Akkerman
expertly recollects the Hartman character as a gentleman, romantic,
family man, and constant contributor to the jazz scene. From his
international concerts in Japan, Australia, and England to his
steady presence as an American nightclub singer that spanned five
decades, Hartman personifies the "last balladeer" of his kind,
singing with a sentiment that captured the attention of Clint
Eastwood, who brought Hartman's songs to the masses in the film The
Bridges of Madison County. In the first full-length biography and
discography to chronicle the rhapsodic life and music of Johnny
Hartman, the author completes a previously missing dimension of
vocal-jazz history by documenting Hartman as the balladeer who
crooned his way into so many hearts. Backed by impeccable research
but conveyed in a conversational style, this book will interest not
only musicians and scholars but any fan of the Great American
Songbook and the singers who brought it to life.
For nearly thirty years Lionel Richie has never looked back as a
performer. From fronting his group the Commodores - the premier
R&B pop unit of the seventies - he became the most popular
singer/songwriter in the world by the eighties. A decade later he
was the ultimate star entertainer with a 'nice guy' image. The
"Lionel Richie" story is about a five-time Grammy winner who has
sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. For nine consecutive
years he had no 1 singles in America, a feat matched only by Irving
Berlin. It is also the story of two broken marriages, personal
insecurities, near-death experiences and an insight into the man
behind a success story that broke the rules. "Lionel Richie" is the
first book written about Lionel Richie and the Commodores and draws
on Sharon Davis' unique access to the Motown archive, her numerous
in depth interviews with Richie as well as her time as the
Comodores' publicist.
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