Chamber Music: A Listener's Guide
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.26 (581 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 019020639X |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 528 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-08-16 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Each composition is described in terms of its emotional content, with a minimal amount of technical jargon. Choosing intelligently from myriad possible details, Keller weaves a story about each work that has the feeling of a suspense novel, where the thrilling final chapter will be our listening experience. Keller has provided an essential volume that will take its rightful place among music's most authoritative sources." -- David Finckel and Wu Han, Artistic Directors, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center"A solid representation of musicians from a wide range of genres, time periods, and countriesChamber Music: A Listener's Guide offers somethi
Barbara E. Zarlengo said Excellent scholarship, very well written. Excellent scholarship, very well written, accessible and enjoyable. Cudos to James Keller for what is sure to become a seminal work on Chamber Music.. Four Stars Useful, well-written introductions to the compositions chosen for inclusion.. Three Stars Good, but not comparable to Michael Sternberg's notes on the symphony, concerto, or choral music.
For each piece, from Bach through to contemporary figures like George Crumb and Steve Reich, the author includes an astute musical analysis that casual music lovers can easily appreciate yet that more experienced listeners will find enriching. Now James Keller follows these greatly admired volumes with Chamber Music. Approaching the tradition of chamber music with knowledge and passion, Keller here serves as the often-opinionated but always genial guide to 192 essential works by 56 composers, providing illuminating essays on what makes each piece distinctive and admirable. Oxford's highly successful listener's guides--The Symphony, The Concerto, and Choral Masterworks--have been widely praised for their blend of captivating biography, crystal clear musical analysis, and delightful humor. Keller shares the colorful, often surprising stories behind the compositions while revealing the delights of an art form once described by Goethe as the musical equivalent of "thoughtful people conversing.". Keller spans the history of this intimate genre of music, from key works of the Baroque through the emotionally stirring "golden age" of the Classical and Romantic composers, to modern masterpieces rich in political, psychological, and sometimes comical overtones
James Keller, longtime Program Annotator of the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony, was awarded the prestigious ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for feature writing about music in Chamber Music magazine, where he has been Contributing Editor for more than a decade.