Playing Before the Lord: The Life and Work of Joseph Haydn
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.99 (949 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0802868525 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-11-19 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) has been called the father of the symphony and the string quartet. A friend of Mozart and a teacher of Beethoven, "Papa" Haydn composed an amazing variety of music -- symphonies, string quartets, concerti, masses, operas, oratorios, keyboard works -- and his prolific output celebrates both the heights and depths of life.In this fascinating book Calvin Stapert combines his skills as a biographer and a musicologist to recount Haydn's steady rise from humble origins to true musical greatness. In addition to telling Haydn's life story, Stapert includes accessible listening guides to The Creation and portions of other well-known works to help Haydn listeners more fully appreciate the brilliance behind his music.. Unlike other biographers, Stapert argues that Haydn's work was a product of his devout Catholic faith, even though he work
Highly recommended!"Peter Mercer-Taylor -- University of Minnesota "Calvin Stapert here provides an encounter with Joseph Haydn's life and work that is at once broad in its cultural outlook, confident in its musical explorations, and intimate in its portrayal of the composer's human experience. One extremely positive feature of the book is the author's ability to explain in a clear fashion the complexities of musical forms . . Ultimately, Stapert makes a strong case that Haydn belongs in the highest echelons of composers."Kenneth Slowik -- Smithsonian Institution "This excellent study gives a detailed yet eminently readable survey of Haydn's life and brilliant output. Stapert's analyses of important works can be appreciated by readers armed with either scores or recordings, and his glossary entries clearly explain the four dozen or so technical terms he cannot avoid employing. Playing Before the Lord
"Informative and accessible, even for the non-musicologist!" according to Gurn Blanston. Being a great fan of the music of Joseph Haydn, over the years I have accumulated all of his music on CD, and nearly all of the books written in English. One thing the liner notes of the CD's have in common; they frequently present outdated or just plain incorrect information and give no idea where it was obtained. One thing the books have in common is that most of them are written BY musicologists FOR musicologists. The net result is that for a music fan, getting accurate, readable information is a tough row to hoe.Calvin Stapert has managed to present authoritative and up-to-date information in a form which is accessible to the inte. There is a great and detailed explanation of the oratorios MSStudent I read this book before I was performing a Haydn concerto in a competition. It helped illuminate Haydn's style, such as his interest in surprise. His life is fascinating from his early start composing to getting expelled from school to his internships.There is a great and detailed explanation of the oratorios. I recommend this book for anyone interested in music, composition and what shaped Haydn.. "Joy Loves Company" according to Paul Munson. To read this marvelous book is to find a companion--a companion for many golden hours of listening to music. Many people who love Classical music, it's safe to say, occasionally feel alone in their musical interests. But here is an opportunity to come alongside a musically-wise writer who'll take you by the hand, so to speak, and share meaningful things he hears: like the way the violins and horns trade places in the slow beginning of Symphony No. 15. Having arrived in a new key, the horns sustain a long note while the violins sing; upon returning to the home key, it's the violins who hold a note and the horns who play their own versi