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A unique Companion to J S Bach's iconic Cello Suites from
internationally-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis. 'The very model
of how to write about music.' Philip Pullman 'An essential
companion.' Jeremy Denk, New York Times\ 'Illuminating, accessible
and detailed.' Observer Bach's six cello suites for solo cello are
among the most cherished works in musical literature. Little-known
for some two hundred years after their composition, they have
acquired an aura that enthrals audiences worldwide. Internationally
renowned cellist Steven Isserlis goes deep into the history and the
emotional journey of the suites, bringing to bear all his
experience of performance to offer a rewarding companion for
everyone, from the casual listener to the performing musician.
'Ingenious, elegant, and pleasing - a treat for the most refined
listeners and critical judges of musical composition'. Thus wrote
Charles Burney in the 18th century about the music of Luigi
Boccherini. Here, three centuries later, the renowned cellist
Steven Isserlis, in his Foreword to Luigi Boccherini - Musica
Amorosa, invites you to enter anew that world of 'sweet, joyous
clarity' and 'fathomless beauty' that endow Boccherini's rococo
style. 'This', says Isserlis, 'is the music of angels'. Born in
1743 in Italy, in Lucca, famed for its long and distinguished
musical tradition, Boccherini spent two thirds of his life in
Spain, a vibrant influence that perfuses many of his works. A
composer of symphonies, chamber music and vocal works, he excelled
as well in creating many sonatas and concertos for the cello. A
pioneer in his day of modern cello playing, Boccherini introduced
techniques that greatly heightened the cello's range and depth of
expression. Incorporating recent international research, this
comprehensive new biography sets the composer in his historical
context during the turbulent social changes that accompanied the
end of the ancien regime and the dawn of the republican era.
`Valentin Berlinsky (1925-2008) was a founding member of the
Borodin Quartet and its cellist and mainstay for more than six
decades. A proud Russian but also a man of compromise, his was a
life lived for and through the Borodin Quartet. This book tells his
story in his own words, lovingly compiled and edited by his
grand-daughter, Maria Matalaev, from his diaries, correspondence
and interviews, and his accounts of his close friendships with the
likes of Shostakovich and Richter, Rostropovich and Oistrakh.
Supplemented by tributes from family and friends, as well as an
impressive annexure giving every performance, broadcast and
recording made by the Borodin Quartet, this book constitutes one of
the most revealing chronicles of Soviet and post-Soviet Russian
musical life. In 2005, at the celebrations for both his 80th
birthday and the 60th anniversary of the Borodin Quartet, Valentin
Berlinsky sat down at a table with his students and said: `My
dears, please, keep going: never leave Russia!'
A unique Companion to J S Bach's iconic Cello Suites from
internationally-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis. 'Isserlis is the
master of the material, yet always able to make it accessible . . .
It is an absolute treat to be led to this sublime music by such an
ethusiastic expert.' MICHAEL PALIN 'The book I've always wanted: an
accessible, eloquent guide to the world's greatest - and maybe most
elusive - pieces of music. And written by the man I'd want to tell
me about it. This is such a delight.' DERREN BROWN 'Illuminating.'
OBSERVER 'Striking.' THE SPECTATOR Bach's six Cello Suites are
among the most cherished of all the works in the classical music
literature. Shrouded in mystery - they were largely unknown for
some two hundred years after their composition - they have acquired
a magical aura which continues to attract and fascinate audiences
the world over. To cellists they represent a musical bible, to
listeners, scarcely less. Through what are on the surface simple
dance suites, Bach takes us on a spiritual journey like no other,
leading us from joy to tragedy, concluding in jubilation, even
triumph. Award-winning international cellist Steven Isserlis, whose
recent recording of the Suites met with the highest critical
acclaim, goes deep into that emotional journey, bringing to bear
all his many years' experience of performing the Suites. His book
is intended as a rewarding companion for all music lovers, ranging
from the casual listener to the performing musician. By offering
his own very personal observations of the music, Isserlis's aim is
to take the reader further into the world of the Suites in order to
enhance the experience of hearing some of the greatest works ever
composed. Praise for Steven Isserlis' BACH: THE CELLO SUITES 'The
most wonderful cello-playing, surely among the most consistently
beautiful to have been heard in this demanding music.' GRAMOPHONE
'Isserlis has done the impossible. He has given the listener
something new, and indeed something outstandingly good . . . This
recording can sit proudly on the shelf alongside the great
recordings of Casals and Rostropovich. In fact, I may find myself
picking it up as the favourite.' BBC RADIO 3
The eagerly awaited follow-up to the best-selling Why Beethoven
Threw the Stew. What did Haydn's wife use for curling-paper for her
hair? What did Schubert do with his old spectacles case? Why was
Dvorak given a butcher's apron when he was a little boy? Why did
Tchaikovsky spit on a map of Europe? Why did Faure find a plate of
spinach on his face? And why did Handel waggle his wig? In Why
Beethoven Threw the Stew, renowned cellist Steven Isserlis set out
to pass on to children a wonderful gift given to him by his own
cello teacher - the chance to people his own world with the great
composers by getting to know them as friends. In his new book he
draws us irresistibly into the world of six more favourite
composers, bringing them alive in a manner that cannot fail to
catch the imagination of children encountering classical music for
the first time. Once again the text is packed with facts, dates and
anecdotes, interspersed with lively black-and-white line
illustrations, making this an attractive and accessible read for
children to enjoy on their own or share with an adult. 'If Why
Beethoven Threw the Stew does not turn your child into a music
lover, the chances are nothing will.' Daily Mail
In Why Beethoven Threw the Stew, renowned cellist Steven Isserlis
sets out to pass on to children a wonderful gift given to him by
his own cello teacher - the chance to people his own world with the
great composers by getting to know them as friends. Witty and
informative at the same time, Isserlis introduces us to six of his
favourite composers: the sublime genius Bach, the quicksilver
Mozart, Beethoven with his gruff humour, the shy Schumann, the
prickly Brahms and that extraordinary split personality,
Stravinsky. Isserlis brings the composers alive in an irresistible
manner that can't fail to catch the attention of any child whose
ear has been caught by any of the music described, or anyone
entering the world of classical music for the first time. The
lively black and white line illustrations provide a perfect
accompaniment to the text, and make this book attractive and
accessible for children to enjoy on their own or share with an
adult.
'No musician or music lover should be without it.' BBC Music
Magazine Robert Schumann was far ahead of his time: his music
anticipated a multitude of trends that would spread in the 150
years after his death, and almost every major composer who followed
him acknowledged his influence. He was also revolutionary in his
attitude to young people; in 1848 he wrote his famous Advice to
Young Musicians, a book that is still deeply relevant today. In
this volume, celebrated cellist Steven Isserlis has taken
Schumann's words of wisdom and set them in a modern context with
his own extensive commentary. By turns practical, humorous and
profound, this book is a must for aspiring musicians and
music-lovers of all ages.
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