Conductors on Composers

by John L. Holmes

Overview

A lively commentary by 123 important conductors of the past and present on the music they perform, this work discloses fascinating insights on much of our classical concert and recorded repertoire. It reveals different approaches of these interpreters of great music and also sometimes surprising prejudices and enthusiasms. The material comes from hundreds of sources, mainly conductors' autobiographies and their critical writings, interviews with conductors, and biographical works, all interwoven into a cohesive narrative for each of the 71 composers covered. A companion to the author's Composers on Composers, this volume is similarly organized alphabetically by composer. Brief biographies are given of the conductors, and their remarks on the music can be traced via indexing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313277276
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	07/30/1993
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.69(d)
Lexile:	1410L (what's this?)

About the Author

JOHN L. HOLMES was trade commissioner for the Australian government in various countries. He is author of Conductors on Records (Greenwood Press, 1982), Conductors—A Record Collector's Guide, and Composers on Composers (Greenwood Press, 1990).

Table of Contents

Introduction
Listing of Composers
The Conductors
Biographical Notes
Notes and Sources
Index

Editorial Reviews

This companion volume to the author's Composers on Composers (Greenwood, 1990) is a collection of often illuminating quotations by various well-known conductors on the music of famous composers. Holmes, an Australian trade commissioner by profession, is somewhat arbitrary not only in his selection of composers but also in the space he devotes to each. Thus, the little-known English composer Granville Bantock receives as much ink as Aaron Copland, and such important and much-discussed composers as Varese and Monteverdi are omitted. In fact, the selection is quite conservative, with early and contemporary composers getting short shrift. These reservations aside, the volume contains much entertainment for music fans, and certain timely topics, such as the ``period instrument'' movement, are covered well. Recommended for large public libraries.-- Larry Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, Pa.

Library Journal

A commentary by 123 important conductors of the past and present on the music they perform. This volume--a companion to the author's Composers on Composers (Greenwood, 1990)--reveals the different approaches of the conductors as well as their insight into much of the classical concert and recorded repertoire. The material comes mainly from conductors' autobiographies and their critical writings, interviews, and biographical works, interwoven into a cohesive narrative for each of the 71 composers covered. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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