This widely acclaimed first volume (1885-1933) is now made available in a newly designed format as a companion to the newly published volume 2 (1933-1973).
An award-winning scholar and leading authority on American symphonic culture argues that classical music in the United States is peculiarly performance-driven, and he traces a musical trajectory rising to its peak at the close of the 19th century and receding after World War I.
Kirill Kondrashin: His Life in Music presents a full biography of the artist, from his humble background and early conducting experience at age 17, through his 20 years in Leningrad and at the Bolshoi Theatre; from his breaking with the Bolshoi and the expanded symphonic career that followed, through his defection in 1978 and his unexpected death of a heart attack in 1981. Twenty photos are included, as well as a full discography, bibliography, and index.
In this authoritative study, one of the first to appear in English, Erik Levi explores the ambiguous relationship between music and politics during one of the darkest periods of recent cultural history. Utilising material drawn from contemporary documents, journals and newspapers, he traces the evolution of reactionary musical attitudes which were exploited by the Nazis in the final years of the Weimar Republic, chronicles the mechanisms that were established after 1933 to regiment musical life throughout Germany and the occupied territories, and examines the degree to which the climate of xenophobia, racism and anti-modernism affected the dissemination of music either in the opera house and concert hall, or on the radio and in the media.
What is the relationship between performance and recording? What is the impact of recording on the lives of musicians? Comparison of the lives of musicians and audiences in the years before recordings with those of today. Survey of the changing attitudes toward freedom of expression, the globalization of performing styles and the rise of the period instrument movement.
(Limelight). Now available in paperback, this compilation by longtime New York Times music and arts critic John Rockwell features the creme de la creme of the renowned journalist's arts criticism and commentary over the past 40 years. Taken mostly from the Times , but also including pieces from 17 other sources, such as the Los Angeles Times , The New Republic , the San Francisco Examiner , High Fidelity , Opera , and the Village Voice , these writings present Rockwell's unique vision of the arts scene over the past 40 years, with essays on classical music (including the breadth of contemporary works), rock, dance, art, film, theater, general arts topics, and reports from abroad. Rockwell's analysis includes parallels among the arts, insights from one to another, as he brilliantly communicates his aesthetic experiences to the reader.
Czech it Out: Czech American Biography Sourcebook provides a wealth of information on a variety of sources relating to biographical information on notable Americans with Czech roots. Besides the national figures, also included are information sources on significant individuals at the state, regional, and local levels. Beyond that, we saw it fit to also incorporate ethnic information sources, which frequently contain a wealth of information on pioneer settlers and individuals active at the community level. Having in mind the interests of genealogists in individual families and their descendents, a listing has also been provided on family histories and genealogies. Even though Czechs have been living in the US practically since colonial times, no composite biographical dictionary exists about the accomplished Czech Americans. Biographical information about them is scattered in a plethora of sources, which are difficult to find and some are not readily accessible. The present author, who, literally, devoted several decades of his life to the study of Czech-American history, has canvassed hundreds of sources at national and local levels to identify, not only notable individuals but also pioneer settlers who played a significant role in the growth and development of the US. This publication should fill a great void in literature until a comprehensive biographical compendium about Czech Americans has been written.
Russian music today has a firm hold around the world in the repertoire of opera houses, ballet companies, and orchestras. The music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Sergey Rachmaninov, Sergey Prokofiev, and Dmitri Shostakovich is very much today’s lingua franca both in the concert hall and on the soundtracks of international blockbusters from Hollywood. Meanwhile, the innovations of Modest Musorgsky, Alexander Borodin, and Igor Stravinsky have played their crucial role in the development of Western music, influencing the work of virtually every notable composer of the past century. Historical Dictionary of Russian Music, Second Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 600 cross-referenced entries for each of Russia’s major performing organizations and performance venues, and on specific genres such as ballet, film music, symphony and church music. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Russian Music.
Viennese composer Julius Bürger (also named Burger (1897-1995)) intersected with many important figures of 20th century western classical music. Despite success in some of the world's leading opera and broadcasting houses, Burger's true path as a composer was forever altered by the National Socialism. Burger studied with Franz Schreker in Vienna and Berlin. On Bruno Walter's recommendation, Burger later joined Artur Bodanzky as assistant at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1929 he became Otto Klemperer's assistant at Berlin's Kroll Opera, returning to Vienna after Hitler's appointment as Chancellor in 1933. En route to Vienna from London in 1938, Burger and his wife foresaw what lay in store for Austria and detrained in Paris, abandoning their luggage. In 1939 Burger relocated to America and in 1949 he rejoined the staff at the Metropolitan Opera, starting a close working friendship with Dimitri Mitropoulos. His mother and four of his brothers were murdered in the Holocaust. A fifth brother's fate is still unknown.