The Orchestra: A Very Short Introduction considers the structure, roots, and day-to-day functioning of the modern philharmonic society. Far from an anachronistic organization that cannot long survive, it is shown to be powerful political and social force, occupying critical positions in cultural diplomacy, national identity, and civic pride.
(String Letter Publishing). An exceptional variety of dynamic violin soloists are making their mark on the world's stages at the dawn of this new century. Violin Virtuosos takes you into their world. In these compelling profiles, each musician reveals the personal, technical and psychological aspects of their lives in music: how they cope with isolation, how they approach and interpret their repertoire, and what kindles their passions and unites them with their audiences. This fascinating companion volume to 21st-Century Violinists includes profiles of Joshua Bell, Chee-Yun, Vadim Repin, Kyung-Wha Chung, Hilary Hahn, Viktoria Mullova, Leila Josefowicz, Christian Tetzlaff, Mark Kaplan and other gifted performers. Also available: 21st-Century Violinists 00699221 $12.95
This book is the first full biography of George Szell, one of the greatest orchestra and opera conductors of the twentieth century. From child prodigy pianist and composer to world-renowned conductor, Szell's career spanned seven decades, and he led most of the great orchestras and opera companies of the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the NBC and Chicago Symphonies, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and Opera, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. A protégé of composer-conductor Richard Strauss at the Berlin State Opera, his crowning achievement was his twenty-four-year tenure as musical director of the Cleveland Orchestra, transforming it into one of the world's greatest ensembles, touring triumphantly in the United States, Europe, the Soviet Union, South Korea, and Japan. Michael Charry, a conductor who worked with Szell and interviewed him, his family, and his associates over several decades, draws on this first-hand material and correspondence, orchestra records, reviews, and other archival sources to construct a lively and balanced portrait of Szell's life and work from his birth in 1897 in Budapest to his death in 1970 in Cleveland. Readers will follow Szell from his career in Europe, Great Britain, and Australia to his guest conducting at the New York Philharmonic and his distinguished tenure at the Metropolitan Opera and Cleveland Orchestra. Charry details Szell's personal and musical qualities, his recordings and broadcast concerts, his approach to the great works of the orchestral repertoire, and his famous orchestrational changes and interpretation of the symphonies of Robert Schumann. The book also lists Szell's conducting repertoire and includes a comprehensive discography. In highlighting Szell's legacy as a teacher and mentor as well as his contributions to orchestral and opera history, this biography will be of lasting interest to concert-goers, music lovers, conductors, musicians inspired by Szell's many great performances, and new generations who will come to know those performances through Szell's recorded legacy.
The musicians of the New York Philharmonic were kids once too! How does a kid who just wants to play baseball make the transition to creating beautiful music? Musicians from many different sections of the New York Philharmonic share how they became involved in music as kids and how their careers have progressed since then. They also have some helpful advice, such as • break down pieces you're learning into small, reachable goals • play it as beautifully as you can, even if it's just a scale • make up words to go with the melody you're studying to learn it faster With exclusive interviews, helpful hints, and a kid-friendly approach, this book is an all-access guide to the world of classical music. Meet the Musicians is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Amidst the heated fray of the Culture Wars emerged a scrappy festival in downtown New York City called Bang on a Can. Presenting eclectic, irreverent marathons of experimental music in crumbling venues on the Lower East Side, Bang on a Can sold out concerts for a genre that had been long considered box office poison. Through the 1980s and 1990s, three young, visionary composers--David Lang, Michael Gordon, and Julia Wolfe--nurtured Bang on a Can into a multifaceted organization with a major record deal, a virtuosic in-house ensemble, and a seat at the table at Lincoln Center, and in the process changed the landscape of avant-garde music in the United States. Bang on a Can captured a new public for new music. But they did not do so alone. As the twentieth century came to a close, the world of American composition pivoted away from the insular academy and towards the broader marketplace. In the wake of the unexpected popularity of Steve Reich and Philip Glass, classical presenters looked to contemporary music for relevance and record labels scrambled to reap its potential profits, all while government funding was imperilled by the evangelical right. Other institutions faltered amidst the vagaries of late capitalism, but the renegade Bang on a Can survived--and thrived--in a tumultuous and idealistic moment that made new music what it is today.
What is Orchestra Management? -- Internal Relationships -- Steering the Ship -- Community Relationships -- Artistic Planning -- Financial Management -- Building Sustaining Relationships -- Marketing and Public Relations -- Toward Relevance -- From the Field.
'Will fascinate and enthrall anyone interested in music.' Stephen Fry Who dreams of becoming a conductor? What does it take to get there and stay in the game? In Good Hands: The Making of a Modern Conductor invites us to think anew about one of the signature roles in classical music. In a frank, fascinating portrait, Alice Farnham, one of Britain's leading conductors, explores what modern conducting really entails, and what it takes to lead, unite and inspire people. 'Takes readers behind the scenes of the eccentric world of classical music.' Guardian 'Conducting, Alice Farnham writes, is an "elusive art". Her book, part memoir and part study of the craft, pins it down . . . Accessible [and] engaging.' Matthew Giley, New Statesman 'Alice Farnham's enchanting blend of insight, experience, musical understanding, sparkling good sense and intelligence brings alive and demystifies what it is to be a conductor.' Stephen Fry 'Alice Farnham's insightful book is an inspirational tool.' Cate Blanchett
Why use picture books with children? -- Extending picture books through art -- Extending picture books through drama -- Extending picture books through music -- Extending picture books through math -- Extending picture books through science.
