Written for the both the scholar and amateur enthusiast interested in modern classical music and American social history, Nationalist and Populist Composers creates a contextual frame through which all audiences can better understand such eternal works as Rhapsody in Blue, Appalachian Spring, and West Side Story.
Gengaro surveys Chopin's position as a composer of Romantic piano music at a time when the piano stood at the center of musical and social life. It sheds a spotlight on Chopin and his music that illuminates the Romantic period in which he lived, the social and artistic climate, and the importance of this most individual artist.
If The Cavern in Liverpool was the birthplace of the Mersey beat, then the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, where the Stones played their first gigs, was at the heart of British rhythm and blues. Formed in 1962 this tells their incredible story including profiles of the past and present members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood ......
George Plasketes provides a comprehensive chronicle of Warren Zevon's 40-year, 20-record career and his enduring cultural significance. Throughout, Plasketes explores the musical, cinematic, and literary influences that shaped Zevon's distinctive style and songwriting themes.
This book provides extensive commentary and an English translation of 17th-century German music theorist Andreas Werckmeister's final treatise, the Musicalische Paradoxal-Discourse. Topics discussed include theological reflections on music, numerology in musical intervals, music notation and solmization, and tunings.
In this book, Kenneth LaFave guides readers past Bernstein's famously tortured personal problems and into the clarity and balance of his Serenade after Plato's Symposium for Violin and Orchestra, the intense drama of his music for On the Waterfront, the existential cosmography of his three symphonies, and his vibrant works for the musical stage.
Brooke Halpin takes the reader on a magical adventure through the Beatles' entire catalog of remarkable, timeless songs to discover the circumstances that inspired the songs and brought four Liverpudlian musicians eternal fame. The volume includes personal vignettes to take the reader back in time to experience Beatlemania for themselves.
An icon of musical talent and independence, Bessie Smith's contributions to the blues and the music industry earned her the title of "Empress of the Blues." Learning how to listen to Smith's work in turn develops a greater understanding of how her successors extended and reinterpreted her music to honor her enduring legacy.
Experiencing Chick Corea introduces this American jazz icon to audiences beyond the domain of fans already familiar with this work. Monika Herzig places Corea's creations in their historical and social contexts so any music lover can gain a fuller understanding of the incredible range of his work.
