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Title: The Lives of the Great Composers by Harold C. Schonberg ISBN: 0-393-03857-2 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: April, 1997 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.6 (10 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A witty introduction to the truly greats
Comment: Schonberg's third edition of this perennial favourite includes a few subtle changes to the first edition (which I'd read numerous times), as well as new accounts of the serialists, tonalists, minimalists (and other -ists) who have bored and bewildered audiences during the last 45 years or so. And while Schonberg doesn't say so explicitly, in many ways this book poses the ultimate riddle of our supposedly advanced culture and times - how on earth did we go from the heights of Mozart in the 18th century, and then Beethoven in the 19th, only to fall in the last century to a level of such mindless mediocrity? Reading the latter pages of this book, I was reminded of Thomas Beecham's immortal riposte to the question of whether he had ever conducted the music of Stockhausen. "No, but I've trodden in some," was his sardonic reply.
Beecham would surely have applauded the author's straightforward style. Not for Schonberg is the stuffy, academic approach to the great composers so favoured by classical poseurs, but rather a witty series of vignettes designed to make the subjects come alive. Schonberg shows the composers warts and all, and our appreciation of their strengths and flaws (both musically and characterwise) is all the keener for his lack of pretentiousness. For some readers, he will undoubtedly have his blindspots when it comes to assessing certain composers' musical worth (his section on Elgar, for example, is not as glowing as the subject deserves), but he makes no apologies for possessing strong opinions - and nor should he.
If you're looking for a politically correct account of the great composers, then look elsewhere. Meanwhile, the intelligent lay-person (rather than the musical expert) will find many rewarding hours in this witty feast of a book.
Rating: 4
Summary: Good overview of classical music
Comment: When I first read "The Lives of the Great Composers" by Harold C. Schonberg, it was the second edition, published 1n 1981. That edition probably did more than any other on the subject of classical music to turn my casual interest in this musical genre into a genuine passion. So, when I recently saw a copy of the third edition in my local bookstore, I eagerly bought it. It's still a very well written book, made up of short biographies of those composers whom Schonberg considers the greatest or most influential of their times. It's an invaluable aid for readers interested in learning more about classical music and the great creative geniuses who composed it. The biographical essays are written with wit and eloquence. (I found myself really liking Joseph Haydn the man, and gaining a greater appreciation for his music as well.) The author's prose is clear, concise, easily understood, and written for (in his words) "the intelligent, music-loving lay audience." He avoids technical jargon, which is commendable.
However, to my disappointment, the third edition is not as good as its predecessor. Many of what the author considers "improvements" in the Third Edition actually detracted from its usefulness to me. For example, in the second edition, Schonberg provided short sections which explained the different musical periods - (i.e., Baroque, Classical, Romantic.) These were eliminated in the third edition, even though they're probably invaluable teaching tools for non-academic, non-musicologists like myself. I also found myself wondering about how the author selected composers for inclusion in the new edition. For example, I understand why he included Claudio Monteverdi, whose music has recently entered the performing repertory, but why does he exclude Antonio Vivaldi, especially when his music has remained in the performing repertory for nearly three centuries?
Having said all this, "The Lives of the Great Composers" is still an excellent book, and a worthy companion to Jan Swafford's "Vintage Guide to Classical Music." Both should be on every classical music lovers' bookshelf.
Rating: 5
Summary: Inspiration Plainly Written
Comment: It's not a custom of mine to buy books, but I got so tired of repeatedly schlepping to library to borrow Mr. Schonberg's work out that I abandoned custom and bought the book.
If you can feel the eternal momentum of Schubert's 9th symphony, the unfathomable mystery of Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise", or the timeless elegance of anything Mozart, read this book. It will make new connections in your mind and in your life.
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Title: The Great Pianists by Harold C. Schonberg ISBN: 0671638378 Publisher: Fireside Pub. Date: 15 June, 1987 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: The Great Conductors by Harold C. Schonberg ISBN: 0671207350 Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Paper) Pub. Date: June, 1967 List Price(USD): $11.95 |
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Title: The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection : The 350 Essential Works by Theodore Libbey, Ted Libbey, Mstislav Rostropovich ISBN: 0761104879 Publisher: Workman Publishing Company Pub. Date: September, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Great Contemporary Pianists Speak for Themselves by Elyse Mach ISBN: 0486266958 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 01 May, 1991 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: BOOK OF MUSICAL ANECDOTES by Norman Lebrecht ISBN: 0029187109 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 01 December, 1985 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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