Proceedings of international conference at NUI Maynooth on Goethe's contribution to music. Goethe was interested in, and acutely aware of, the place of music in human experience generally - and of its particular role in modern culture. Moreover, his own literary work - especially the poetry and Faust - inspired some of the major composers of the European tradition to produce some of their finest works.' (Martin Swales) [Subject: Music Studies, Goethe]
Goethe's Faust, a work which has attracted the attention of composers since the late eighteenth century and played a vital role in the evolution of vocal, operatic and instrumental repertoire in the nineteenth century, hashad a seminal impact in musical realms.
Goethe and Zelter spent a staggering 33 years corresponding or in the case of each artist, over two thirds of their lives. Zelter's position as director of the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin and Goethe's location in Weimar resulted in a wide-ranging correspondence. Goethe's letters offer a chronicle of his musical development, from the time of his journey to Italy to the final months of his life. Zelter's letters retrace his path as stonemason to Professor of Music in Berlin. The 891 letters that passed between these artists provide an important musical record of the music performed in public concerts in Berlin and in the private and semi-public soir? of the Weimar court. Their letters are those of men actively engaged in the musical developments of their time. The legacy contains a wide spectrum of letters, casual and thoughtfully composed, spontaneous and written for publication, rich with the details of Goethe's and Zelter's musical lives. Through Zelter, Goethe gained access to the professional music world he craved and became acquainted with the prodigious talent of Felix Mendelssohn. A single letter from Zelter might bear a letter from Felix Mendelssohn to another recipient of the same family, reflecting a certain community in the Mendelssohn household where letters were not considered private but shared with others in a circle of friends or family. Goethe recognized the value of such correspondence: he complains when his friend is slow to send letters in return for those written to him by the poet, a complaint common in this written culture where letters provided news, introductions, literary and musical works. This famous correspondence contains a medley of many issues in literature, art, and science; but the main focus of this translation is the music dialogues of these artists.
Ferruccio Busoni's conception of the musical work derives from his multiple roles as performer, aesthetician, editor, composer, arranger, and intellectual. Drawing on unpublished scores, manuscripts, sketches and documents from the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, concert programs from a private collection in Berkeley, acoustic recordings, information about Busoni's intellectual interests gleaned from an auction catalogue featuring the contents of his extensive library, and the published aesthetic writings, letters, and compositions, the present study offers the first comprehensive account of Busoni's work concept. By establishing connections between his ideas and his musical practice, it explores and clarifies the reasoning behind his idiosyncratic compositional style, a style characterized by a blurring of boundaries between original and borrowed material. Polystylistic mixtures of the old and new and a distinctive performance style, in which Busoni creatively altered and embellished existing texts, exemplify his practice in an age in thrall to Werktreue, when originality of idea was prized above all else.
This Companion explores the historical and theoretical contexts of the singer-songwriter tradition, and includes case studies of singer-songwriters from Thomas d'Urfey through to Kanye West.
With such plays as The Beauty Queen (1996), The Cripple of Inishmaan (1997), The Lonesome West (1997), A Skull in Connemara (1997), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (2001), and The Pillowman (2003) Martin McDonagh has made a huge reputation for himself in ternationally, winning multiple awards for his work and enjoying universal critical acclaim. Most recently, he won an Oscar for his short film Six Shooter (2006). This collection of essays is a vital and significant response to the many challenges set by McDonagh for those involved in the production and reception of his work. The volume brings together critics and commentators from around the world, who assess the work from a diverse range of often provocative approaches. What is not surprising is the focus and commitment of the engagement, given the controversial and st Whether for or against, this is an essential read for all who wish to enter the complex debate about the Theatre of Martin McDonagh.
As part of Pegasos, Kuunsankosken Kaupunginkirjasto of Finland presents a biographical sketch about the Irish writer Edna O'Brien (1932- ). O'Brien has written plays, children's books, essays, screenplays, and nonfiction about Ireland. Some of O'Brien's works include "Country Girls" (1960), "The Love Object" (1968), "Night" (1972), "Mother Ireland" (1976), and "A Fanatic Heart" (1984).
Gareth Cox provides a compelling overview of the career and creative achievement of one of Ireland s foremost living composers, Seoirse Bodley. He documents the context from which Bodley s work has emerged over the course of the last sixty years, and he discusses its most significant technical features. This first full-length study of Bodley s life and work will appeal to a wide range of readers and musicians, both specialist and amateur, and most importantly, it will encourage more performers to study, play and record Bodley s music."
