The life of eclectic, forward-thinking composer Edgard Varese
(1883-1965) is chronicled here in detail by well-respected music
writer Alan Clayson, author of the bestselling and highly regarded
Backbeat. From a childhood characterized by domestic unrest and
emotional abuse at the hands of a domineering father, Varese's love
of music developed despite the odds stacked against him. After
attending the 1895 Concerts Cologne in Turin and being enthralled
by Debussy's evocative Prelude A l'Apres-Midi, he began a musical
career that helped to shape not only the modern classical sound but
also 20th-century modes of thinking. From France to Berlin, New
York and the Netherlands, his experimentation with sound earned him
an impressive following, including the legendary Frank Zappa.
Heralded as 'the great emancipator of noise' by The Sunday Times,
Varese remains one of the most highly respected, original and
talented musical intellectuals of the last century. This is the
first English language biography of him and it's a compelling read.
Considering that Varese was a revisionist with a tendency to adjust
his past to suit himself, Clayson has done a remarkable job of
presenting a balanced picture of his personality, achievements and
relationships. In addition, Clayson provides us with an interesting
insight into the development of 20th-century modern thinking, which
helps to create a multi-dimensional narrative that manages to hold
its grip on the reader's attention throughout. This is a
thoughtful, intimate and revealing look at a man who wasn't afraid
to push accepted boundaries as far as they would go in the name of
music. (Kirkus UK)
French born New Yorker, Edgard Varese sound-tracked industrial
society just as Debussy had more pastoral settings.
Frank Zappa's boyhood hero, inspiration to The Grateful Dead,
Chicago and Laurie Anderson, revered by Stravinsky, Stockhausen,
Cage and Charlie Parker, Varese saw music as an "art-science" in
which machines, not instruments would extend the sonic
vocabulary.
Ionization (1933), for percussion and sirens, Deserts (1954),
Density 21.5 for platinum flute, The One All Alone, a science
fiction opera, and Espace, written in aid of Spanish Civil War
revolutionaries brought critical acclaim. Then followed 15
"wilderness years" which ended in 1958 when his symphony, Poeme
Electronique was played through 400 revolving loudspeakers at the
Brussels Exposition.
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