New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 15th July 2024
Welcome to our latest selection of new music publications, including analyses of the song outputs of Franz Liszt and Robert Schumann, a look at the art and craft that went into the establishment of the corpus of twentieth-century standards known as the "Great American Songbook", an examination of the importance of the year 1924 to the world of musical theatre, a survey of the symphonies of Robert Simpson, a collection of essays analysing film music, and a study of the connections between music and the modern in eighteenth-century Spain.
Liszt Recomposed: Exploring Intertextual Fluidity in Song
Nicolás J.F. Puyané; Boydell & Brewer; Hardback
Franz Liszt is mostly known for his virtuosic piano works, but his compositional achievements in the genre of song have so far been neglected. This book redresses this imbalance and draws attention to this rich and varied corpus of works. Introducing the concept of "textual fluidity", it explores Liszt's compositional processes and methods of revision, interpreting a work as being the product of the composer's interactions with a large variety of social, cultural, personal and political forces.
Available Format: Book
Narrative and Robert Schumann’s Songs: A New Approach to the Romantic Lied
Andrew H. Weaver; University of Rochester Press; Hardback
This book takes an innovative approach to analysing nineteenth-century German song, offering new perspectives on Schumann's Lieder. Proceeding from the premise that the performance of a Lied is a narrative act in which the singer and pianist together function as a narrator, this study proposes a comprehensive theory of narratology for the German Romantic Lied, using Schumann's song oeuvre as the test case.
Available Format: Book
Say It with a Beautiful Song: The Art and Craft of the Great American Songbook
Michael Lasser & Harmon Greenblatt; Rowman & Littlefield; Hardback
The songwriters of the Great American Songbook wrote with a combination of familiarity and freshness, sentiment, and wit, creating a distinctively American popular music that still resonates strongly today. This book looks at their craft, uncovering the essential elements of these beloved songs and investigating the qualities that make the songbook a unique staple of American culture.
Available Format: Book
The Year that Made the Musical: 1924 and the Glamour of Musical Theatre
William A. Everett; Cambridge University Press; Hardback
Whether they appeared on Broadway or The Strand, the shows appearing in 1924 epitomised the glamour of musical theatre. This book demonstrates how fresh approaches became highly successful, with established leads like Marie Tempest and Fred Stone appearing in new productions even as youthful talents such as Florence Mills, Fred and Adele Astaire, Gertrude Lawrence and George Gershwin started to make their mark.
Available Format: Book
A Passion for Symphonies: Robert Simpson (1921-1997)
Lionel Pike; Austin Macauley Publishers; Paperback
Critics have hailed Robert Simpson as one of the finest writers of symphonies in the twentieth century - one who additionally spent a lifetime examining and talking about works of this kind, being particularly interested in the oeuvres of Bruckner, Nielsen and Sibelius. As a result, his compositions provide invaluable case studies for the understanding of this most demanding of compositional forms.
Available Format: Book
Through the study of press debates, opera reception, and musical theatre productions, this book shows how music intersected with wider cultural affairs, such as philosophy and criticism, medicine and the human body, civilization, Bourbon policy and sentimentality. It is the first study to connect music and the modern in eighteenth-century Spain within the context of Enlightenment thought.
Available Format: Book
The Sound of Difference: Race, Class and the Politics of 'Diversity' in Classical Music
Kristina Kolbe; Manchester University Press; Hardback
What happens when the elitist space of ‘Western’ classical music seeks to diversify itself? And what are the social effects worked through diversity discourses in classical music institutions? This book addresses these concerns by critically examining how diversity work takes shape in a cultural sector so deeply implicated in hierarchies of class, structures of whiteness, and legacies of imperialism.
Available Format: Book
Since the establishment of film music studies, there has been a steady growth of serious analytical work on the film music repertoire. This book offers the first collection of essays dedicated to the close investigation of musical structure and meaning in film music. Showcasing scholarship from a diverse and distinguished group of music theorists and musicologists, it presents the many ways to inspect the inner workings of film music in a manner that is exciting and accessible to anyone curious about this music.
Available Format: Book
Instrumental Music Teaching: Perspectives and Challenges
Nick Beach & Gary Spruce (editors); Trinity College London; Paperback
Instrumental music teaching and learning is a major part of music education in almost all cultures. This book explores major themes in instrumental music teaching including creativity, assessment, motivation, access and inclusion and the use of music technology. Other chapters examine recent research into instrumental teaching and learning, historical perspectives, and the relationship between the teacher and musician.
Available Format: Book
At the start of 1963, The Beatles were a successful local Liverpool band with one hit single. Twelve months, two albums and the arrival of Beatlemania later, they were on the cusp of world domination. Featuring daily entries covering every pivotal event, this paperback reissue draws on hundreds of eye-witness accounts and provides numerous unseen photographs. Meticulously researched, this is the definitive account of the momentous year that sent John, Paul, George and Ringo to stratospheric heights.
Available Format: Book
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