The composer Erik Satie (1866-1925) came of age in the bohemian sub-culture of Montmartre, with its artists' cabarets and cafés-concerts. These colourful milieux decisively shaped his aesthetic priorities and compositional strategies, from the esoteric Gymnopédies of the 1880s to the avant-garde ballets of the 1920s. This radical transvaluation of received artistic values makes far better sense once placed in this fascinating context.

The first joint biography of one of rock 'n' roll's greatest song writing teams, Hitmakers Inc. explores the private lives and public triumphs of lyricist Doc Pomus and composer Mort Shuman. Between 1958 and 1965, usually working out of Manhattan's famous Brill Building, they wrote some 500 teen anthems and timeless ballads for Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, The Drifters, Bobby Darin, Del Shannon and Andy Williams among others. Polio-stricken ex-blues shouter Pomus always attracted the press coverage, but after the duo split junior partner Shuman proved the more colourful of the two, acting in films, writing musicals, joining the post-Beatles British beat boom and eventually becoming a chart-topping singer-composer in his own right in - of all places - France. The story of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, writing together and individually, reveals a personal dynamic that was both warm and difficult but which at its height produced songs like 'Teenager In Love', 'Save The Last Dance For Me', 'Surrender', 'Little Sister', '(Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame' , 'This Magic Moment' and 'Lonely Avenue'.

(Book). Outrageously talented, remarkably handsome, internationally renowned, and dead at the age of 21. More than 40 years after the tragic car crash that killed him, Eddie Cochran remains one of rock and roll's most lamented "What Ifs." A trailblazing guitarist, gifted vocalist, hit-making composer and arranger, and budding whiz-kid producer, Cochran quickly ascended from Midwestern obscurity in the late '50s to become one of nascent rock and roll's leading lights. He penned or recorded many of the most recognized songs in rock history "Summertime Blues," "Nervous Breakdown," "Somethin' Else," "C'mon Everybody," "Twenty Flight Rock," "Sittin' in the Balcony" songs whose distinctive sound and defiant, often wryly humorous lyrics have been eagerly digested, analyzed and lovingly reinterpreted by generations of rockers after him, from The Beatles to the Sex Pistols, The Who to U2. Three Steps to Heaven: The Eddie Cochran Story co-authored by Cochran's nephew, also a gifted musician is the first American biography of this uniquely American rock legend, who was among the first to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The book is a detailed portrait of Cochran's personal and professional triumphs and travails, with fascinating insight into the rock pioneer's life that only a family member can provide. 33 B/W photographs; Hardcover.

A pioneer of musical modernism, Igor Stravinsky marked a significant turn in compositional method. He broke free from traditional styles and contemporary trends in the early part of the twentieth century to achieve an entirely new and truly modern aesthetic. Striking a remarkable concurrence of stasis and discontinuity, Stravinsky crafted large-scale compositions out of short repeating melodies, juxtaposed these primary motives with contrasting and varying fragments, and layered on fixed ostinati which repeated at their own rates throughout the piece. Previous scholarship on Stravinsky focuses on the disparate and independent nature of such textures, conceiving them as separated and deadlocked, unable to escape their repetitions, and having no goal. This connects Stravinsky's procedures with the more radical music of subsequent composers for whom disconnection has served as a primary aesthetic. Yet, from the perspective of his later works, the static and discontinuous depictions of Stravinsky's music seem incomplete and perhaps even simplistic. The "building blocks" of his novel textures often consist of tunes with identifiable intervallic shapes, goal pitches, and defining durational patterns-organizations that engender continuity and connection. In other words, although its basic materials are combined into new, often dissonant and usually repetitive textures, those materials still originate in, and depend upon, traditional concepts of melody, harmony, and pulsation. Presenting an innovative analytical model for Stravinsky's compositions, Building Blocks seeks a fuller perspective, and enables a fresh, insightful approach to this music and the theoretical constructs behind it. Author Gretchen Horlacher portrays the whole of Stravinsky's repertoire as radical or modern not because it eschews continuity and connection, but because it places them in relation to their opposites: the music holds our interest because undeniable references toward continuity are dynamically coordinated (rather than subsumed) with stasis and discontinuity. From this vantage point, Stravinsky's music becomes a commentary on the nature of time: the music draws into relation the tension between time as it is punctuated by fixed reference and as it flows from one event to another. It is quintessentially modern because of its inherent emphasis on multiple vantage points. A sensitive and sophisticated approach to the work of this iconic composer, Building Blocks will appeal to students and scholars of Stravinsky and his music, scholars of musical modernism and twentieth century music, and to a more limited extent, to performers-particularly conductors, pianists, and orchestral instrumentalists.

Esther Williamson Ballou was greatly admired by all who encountered her remarkable versatility as a musician and teacher. Although her music has continued to be performed over the years since her death in 1973, this volume is the first book-length study of her life and contributions to the musical world. The result of an extensive bibliographical search, and repeated contact with Esther's husband, Harold, and her friends and colleagues, James R. Heintze's bio-bibliography will provide the researcher with information about what materials exist and where they are located, that until now was not available.

Disney's animated trailblazing, Dostoyevsky's philosophical neuroses, Hendrix's electric haze, Hitchcock's masterful manipulation, Frida Kahlo's scarifying portraits, Van Gogh's vigorous color, and Virginia Woolf's modern feminism: this multicultural reference tool examines 200 artists, writers, and musicians from around the world. Detailed biographical essays place them in a broad historical context, showing how their luminous achievements influenced and guided contemporary and future generations, shaped the internal and external perceptions of their craft, and met the sensibilities of their audience.

Beginning from the unlikely vantage point of Venice in the aftermath of fascism and World War II, this book explores operatic production in the city's nascent postwar culture as a lens onto the relationship between opera and politics in the twentieth century. Both opera and Venice in the middle of the century are often talked about in strikingly similar terms: as museums locked in the past and blind to the future. These cliches are here overturned: perceptions of crisis were in fact remarkably productive for opera, and despite being physically locked in the past, Venice was undergoing a flourishing of avant-garde activity. Focusing on a local musical culture, Harriet Boyd-Bennett recasts some of the major composers, works, stylistic categories and narratives of twentieth-century music. The study provides fresh understandings of works by composers as diverse as Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Verdi, Britten and Nono.

Focusing on Sinatra's presence in the recording studio, this discography catalogues Frank Sinatra's commercial records, V-Discs, and soundtrack film recordings. The first chapter covers Sinatra's early years as a vocalist with the big bands of Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. Entries then proceed chronologically with separate chapters for each decade. Data was collected from session reports in the files of record companies and from some union contracts. Commercial record and film soundtrack entries include band personnel and composer credits.

Frank Sinatra fans, music historians, and discographers will appreciate this comprehensive catalogue of session recordings in which Sinatra either sang or conducted. The sessions span Sinatra's entire career, from his early days through the nineties. Two indexes, of song titles and of artists, complete the book.

(Amadeus). Jean Langlais (1907-1991) was among the foremost French musicians of his time. He was the successor to the musical tradition established by Cesar Franck and, like him, was organist at the church of Sainte Clotilde in Paris. Though blind from early childhood, he became one of the most celebrated touring virtuos of his time, his legendary recitals always concluding with an improvisation upon a submitted theme. Langlais wrote a body of music for organ second only in extent to that of Bach, and his compositions for organ remain widely played. This biography by one of his favorite pupils examines both his life and music. HARDCOVER.

Mozart wrote some of the greatest serenades for wind ensemble. He was not alone in writing works for wind sextet, octet, or larger ensembles-Over 12,000 works for wind harmony by over 2,200 composers are extant. Describing this new genre, Wind Harmony, which is far larger and more influential than ever recognized, this sourcebook includes biographical details, discusses many of the works, and presents country surveys. There is also a survey of the way wind instruments developed at the critical time, and of performance practices. Companion volumes, the ^IWind Ensemble Catalog^R and the ^IWind Ensemble Thematic Catalog 1700-1900^R, are cross-referenced. Mozart wrote some of the greatest serenades for wind ensemble. He was not alone in writing works for wind sextet, octet, or larger ensembles-over 12,000 works for wind harmony by over 2,200 composers are extant. Describing this new genre, Wind Harmony, which is far larger and more influential than ever recognized, this sourcebook includes biographical details, discusses many of the works, and presents country surveys. There is also a survey of the way wind instruments developed at the critical time, and of performance practices. Companion volumes, the ^IWind Ensemble Catalog^R and the ^IWind Ensemble Thematic Catalog 1700-1900^R, are cross-referenced. The authors identify what must be the major part of surviving wind harmony music. There is far more material than previously recognized, and its character is far more varied than is usually thought. In this work, the music is placed in context: why it was written, where it was played, and how it influenced other genres. The authors have collected new material, corrected previous mistakes, and filled in missing material. Public and private libraries have been scoured and monasteries searched throughout greater Europe. The sourcebook will be helpful for scholars and students, librarians, players, and music sellers.

The preponderance of early Black composers wrote choral music and even the most outstanding among them did not compose works for woodwinds. However, the later half of the twentieth century has witnessed a rise in compositions for woodwinds, both for solo and chamber ensembles by relatively unknown Black composers. This pioneering volume will become the standard source of information on nineteenth and twentieth century Black composers from three continents as well as their woodwind compositions. It contains the most current and complete biographical data on 90 African composers, Afro-American composers, Afro-Latin composers, and Afro-European composers, including their education and professional experience and information on their continuing musical influence. A distinctive feature is the separate, easy-to-use woodwind music index of both published and unpublished works for solo and chamber ensembles that groups the music by medium and numbers into 27 categories that contain some 430 works. Exact instrumentation, dedication or commission, premiere performance, and publisher are also found here. A list of abbreviations, key to publishers, collections, and manuscripts, and a discography of 38 recordings of woodwind works by 26 of the included composers complete the volume.

This first bibliography of woodwind music by Black composers is an excellent reference work for Black composers, for the woodwind repertoire, and for American music in general. It will be highly useful in college-level courses such as "Survey of Afro-American Music and Woodwind Literature" as well as to woodwind players, ensemble directors, and scholars.

Marking the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth, this volume presents twenty-one completely new essays on aspects of Beethoven's personal life, his composing process, his manuscripts, and his greatest works. Beethoven's music stands as a universal symbol of personal and artistic achievement. As we reach and then surpass the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth, Jeremy Yudkin has commissioned a collection of new essays from some of the most insightful writers on Beethoven's accomplishments and brought them together in this remarkable volume. Filled with careful explanations, this book gives us completely new insights into music known and loved by people around the world. Ordinary music lovers as well as scholars will find countless new discoveries about Beethoven and his music. Listeners will hear his compositions afresh, and scholars will find new results of research and analysis and new avenues for discovery. Topics include Beethoven's cultural milieu, his personal life, his friends, his publishers, his instruments, his working methods, his own handwritten scores, and, of course, his music. Many works are carefully discussed and explained in ways that reveal fascinating and previously unknown aspects of compositions that we thought we knew well. A landmark publication for all who admire some of the greatest music of our civilization.

Henri Sauguet's music remains little known outside his native France and portions of Belgium. Even there a younger generation of listeners and practitioners only vaguely associate his name with the ballet Les Forains, the popular song Le Chemin des forains, and a handful of other minor masterworks. Yet, during his lifetime, impresarios, poets, stage directors, choreographers, and film directors eagerly sought his collaboration on important projects. Henri Sauguet: A Bio-Bibliography is the first English-language book to treat Sauguet not only as a composer, but as a music critic and observer of the French music scene for more than sixty years. No other single source highlights the multi-faceted talents of a man who may be called the grand old man of French music. The volume is organized into five parts, beginning with a brief biography of Sauguet's life. This is followed by the most complete list of works and performances compiled to date. This section is subdivided by genre--operas, ballets, instrumental music, vocal music, electronic music, music for the cinema, stage, and broadcast; each item within a genre chronologically follows the name of that kind of work. Performances appear chronologically with premieres listed first, and a sampling of prose writings and speeches by Sauguet is included. Music and drama reviews are presented separately in chronological order under the name of the journal in which they appeared. The complete discography is organized alphanumerically, an arrangement dictated by record manufacturers' labels and numbers. The bibliography of writings about the composer is organized alphabetically by author with anonymous works inserted alphabetically by title. Two appendixes follow the work proper: organizing the music alphabetically by title, and chronologically to give a clearer picture of the progression and disposition of works during the composer's career. An index of the people, organizations, and events cited throughout completes the volume. Music libraries will want to add this reference work to their collections. Other libraries and scholars with an interest in theatre, media, and French cultural history will also want to acquire this volume.

As a composer and as an author, Ned Rorem occupies a position of considerable influence and importance in American music. His numerous musical works are performed frequently, and his critical writings offer unmatched insights into contemporary music. This bibliography will serve as an important resource for those seeking more information about this distinguished American composer and his works. The book is divided into four sections: a brief biography, a complete list of works and performances, a discography of commercially produced sound recordings, and a bibliography of writings by and about Ned Rorem. The list of works and performances includes RoreM's plays and books, works in preparation, and his musical compositions. The latter are classified by genre and arranged alphabetically within each category. Each entry provides as much information as possible about the date of composition and publication, publisher, duration, medium of performance, literary source, commission, dedication, and dates of the premiere and subsequent performances. A directory of publishers and their addresses is also provided. Citations in the discography are arranged by label and number and include contents, performers, date of issue, and album title. The bibliographical section includes annotations or brief quotations from the cited item. Three appendixes complete the work. The first provides an alphabetical listing of RoreM's compositions, including individual songs in cycles, distinctive subtitles, working titles, and titles of unpublished works. Appendix II is a chronological list of compositions and Appendix III provides a list of the literary sources for RoreM's works. This unique reference tool belongs in all music reference collections.

Few bands in the past three decades have proven as affecting or exciting as the Misfits, the ferocious horror punk outfit that lurked in the shadows of suburban New Jersey and released a handful of pivotal underground recordings during their brief, tumultuous time together. Led by Glenn Danzig, a singer possessed of vision and blessed with an incredible baritone, the Misfits pioneered a death rock sound that would reverberate through the various musical subgenres that sprung up in their wake. This Music Leaves Stains now presents the full story behind the Misfits and their ubiquitous, haunting skull logo, a story of unique talent, strange timing, clashing personalities, and incredible music that helped shape rock as we know it today. James Greene, Jr., maps this narrative from the band's birth at the tail end of the original punk movement through their messy dissolve at the dawn of the 1980s right on through the legal warring and inexplicable reunions that helped carry the band into the 21st century. Music junkies of any stripe will surely find themselves engrossed in this saga that finally pieces together the full story of the greatest horror punk band that ever existed, though Misfits fans will truly marvel at the thorough and detailed approach James Greene, Jr. has taken in outlining the rise, fall, resurrection, and influence of New Jersey's most frightening musical assembly.

Based on the latest research, including Mozart family correspondence recently released, this fully illustrated and definitive portrait of one of the most revered yet enigmatic figures of all time reveals heretofore unknown facets of Mozart's complicated family background and explodes the myth of this musical genius as the "eternal child". Photos & musical pieces.

Louis Armstrong performed under the pseudonym Ted Shawne while Fats Waller took the name Flip Wallace. Recordings by Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club orchestra are to be found under 22 different pseudonyms. These are among the more than 3,000 pseudonyms unearthed by Allan Sutton in his pioneering guide to pseudonyms used on American recordings between 1892 and 1942. Organized into sections dealing with vocal artists and instrumental groups, the volume has indexes for legal names, label groups, and vocal and instrumental names. Encompassing all musical styles, from opera to pop vocals, from jazz and blues to country music, and covering both vocal and instrumental performers, this is an invaluable research tool for discographers and music and theatre historians alike.

This generously illustrated selection of fifty reviews and essays, written between 1914 and 1962 by thirty American critics, draws together some of the best, most influential, and most interesting writing on Montemezzi, revealing for the first time the full depth of his impact in the United States, the country to which he moved in 1939.

"Francis Poulenc: A Bio-Bibliography" is a thorough presentation of the works of this often performed and critically appreciated 20th-century composer. George R. Keck traces events in Poulenc's life and offers a list of works and performances with the primary focus on those facts and influences which contributed to the development of the composer's distinctive musical style. Included in the text is a substantial discography as well as annotated entries by and about the composer which cover every phase of his career and affirm Poulenc's place in 20th-century music.

The highly selective annotated bibliography comprises the major portion of the text. Since Keck's documentation of the development of Poulenc's style covers only representative works, he includes a list of all of Poulenc's compositions, arranged both alphabetically and chronologically, in the two appendixes. A complete index of names, places, and titles concludes the book.

For many reasons Hans Pfitzner was and remains controversial. This stems partly from his difficult personality, and partly from the nationalistic context in which are set his cultural beliefs. His music has also tended to be coloured by such labels as conservative and romantic. Yet he actually has a wide reputation for his `musical legend' Palestrina, and there is much in his output which sets him as the true heir of Wagner and Schumann. This is the first study in English of Pfitzner's output. It sets his music in the context of his cultural opinions, which, though conceived as reflections on music, have acquired a more political status to which the history of Pfitzner's times has contributed. It offers a revaluation of his music, partly in order to reveal the innate value of his stage works, chamber music, and songs, and also to illustrate the historical importance of his ideas, which reflect a German conservative tradition which was taken over and nearly destroyed by the Third Reich.

Here, Holmboe discusses many issues facing the composer, performer and listener, giving especial attention to the most basic questions about musical experience. Vagn Holmboe [1909-96], was one of the most important composers of his era, and arguably the most important Danish composer after Carl Nielsen. A composer for over 60 years, and a teacher for more than 30, he wrote over 300 compositions in nearly every musical genre, music criticism, many other articles and two other books. Here, in a volume intended for the general reader, he discusses the nature of music, from the point of view of the composer, the performer and the listener. Where do musical ideas come from? What are composers' working methods, and how much are they really aware of them? What is the role of performers, and what sort of freedom do they have in interpreting music?What do listeners do in listening to music? What, essentially, is the musical experience? Professor Paul Rapoport contributes a lengthy introduction to this book, although, as he points out, `this is not a book about Vagn Holmboe nor a book addressed solely to musicians ... Holmboe's prose, like his music, is addressed to his fellow human beings, whoever and wherever they may be'.