Les Six

Les Six

Author: Robert Shapiro

Publisher: Peter Owen Publishers

Published: 2014-07-01

Total Pages: 638

ISBN-13: 072061774X

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The absorbing, comprehensive story of an absolutely unique experiment in classical music, involving many key figures of the Dada and Surrealist movements Les Six were a group of talented composers who came together in a unique collaboration that has never been matched in classical music, and here their remarkable story is told for the first time. A musical experiment originally conceived by Erik Satie and then built upon by Jean Cocteau, Les Six were also born out of the shock of the German invasion of France in 1914—an avant-garde riposte to German romanticism and Wagnerism. Les Six were all—and still are—respected in music circles, but under the aegis of Cocteau, they found themselves moving among a whole new milieu: the likes of Picasso, René Clair, Blaise Cendrars, and Maurice Chevalier all appear in the story. But the story of Les Six goes on long after the heyday of Bohemian Paris—the group never officially disbanded and it was only in the last 20 years that the last member died; moreover, their spouses, descendents, and associates are still active, ensuring that the remarkable legacy of this unique group survives.


A Clarinet Almanac

A Clarinet Almanac

Author: John Macfarlane

Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers

Published: 2023-04-28

Total Pages: 405

ISBN-13: 1398472948

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More than 60 years’ experience in playing the clarinet has led to a very personal and idiosyncratic review of the repertoire. From the point of view of being both a player and a programmer the author has endeavoured to find works for unusual combinations involving the clarinet. This book includes a few orchestral solos and several vocal works (both chamber and operatic), but it is focussed on chamber music and includes gems from the repertoire for the standard wind quintet. The clarinet features as a solo instrument, in duos with a surprisingly large variety of instruments and in mixed trios, quartets and so on to larger ensembles. During the course of one year the reader will be exposed to 366 works, probably some unfamiliar, by 245 different composers. The author hopes it will whet the appetites of students, teachers and concert organizers alike.


The Music of Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)

The Music of Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)

Author: Carl B. Schmidt

Publisher: Clarendon Press

Published: 1995-10-19

Total Pages: 638

ISBN-13: 0191585165

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The name of Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was first brought to prominence in the 1920s as a member of Les Six, a group of young French composers encouraged by Satie and Cocteau. His subsequent fame spread well beyond France, and he is coming to be regarded as one of this century's most significant composers. His compositions are heard constantly in concert halls the world over, and numerous recordings, including complete sets of songs and piano music, have been released. Books, articles and more than a dozen doctoral dissertations have discussed his music. Carl Schmidt's catalogue of Poulenc's works represents the first comprehensive attempt to list an oeuvre which numbers approximately 185 compositions written from his teenage years until his death at the age of 63. The Catalogue indentifies a number of unpublished works, and adds a small group of compositions to his musical canon for the first time. Each work, whether complete or unfinished, published or unpublished, is described fully. Catalogue entries list and describe all known printed editions (including reprints) and manuscript copies of each work. In addition, they provide detailed compositional histories based on numerous letters, documents, and press accounts, many of which have not been published previously. Russian interest in Poulenc's music, manifested in press runs exceeding one million copies, is also revealed for the first time.


Lennox Berkeley: A Source Book

Lennox Berkeley: A Source Book

Author: Stewart R Craggs

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-05-08

Total Pages: 385

ISBN-13: 1351781537

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This title was first published in 2000: This source book on Lennox Berkeley, one of the most important figures in English music in the 20th century, provides a detailed reference for all those interested in his life and music. It is the result of Stewart Cragg's research over 15 years. Included is a chronology of Berkeley's life and work, a catalogue of works, bibliographical descriptions of original manuscripts and printed first editions, a discography and a bibliography. The foreword has been written by the composer's eldest son, Michael.