Customer Reviews (1)

Chameleon Psychology
At last, a book which discusses the fundamental impulses behind the writing of music. Hans Keller deals specifically with Stravinsky (the great musical chameleon of the twentieth century)and his conversion late in lifeto the serial method of composing which originated with Arnold Schoenbergin Vienna in the 1920's. These two composers represented the two opposingfaces of musical modernism up to the 1950's, and there was no love lostbetween them. Why then did Stravinsky, after Schoenberg's death in 1951,feel able to use that which had been so alien to him up to that point?Keller examines, clearly and probingly, the hidden similarities betweenthese two composers, and in three brief and enlightening chapters showsclearly how and why Stravinsky felt able to proceed in the way he did. Thisbook is part psychological exploration and part drama, and Keller'sarguments are always beautifully expressed. Cosman's drawings, which occupythe remainder of the book, are full of life and capture the composer atwork as conductor. An excellent read. ... Read more

Product Description
A pioneer of musical modernism, Igor Stravinsky marked a significant turn in compositional method.He broke free from traditional styles and contemporary trends in the early part of the twentieth century to achieve an entirely new and truly modern aesthetic. Striking a remarkable concurrence of stasis and discontinuity, Stravinsky crafted large-scale compositions out of short repeating melodies, juxtaposed these primary motives with contrasting and varying fragments, and layered on fixed ostinati which repeated at their own rates throughout the piece. Previous scholarship on Stravinsky focuses on the disparate and independent nature of such textures, conceiving them as separated and deadlocked, unable to escape their repetitions, and having no goal.This connects Stravinsky's procedures with the more radical music of subsequent composers for whom disconnection has served as a primary aesthetic.

Yet, from the perspective of his later works, the static and discontinuous depictions of Stravinsky's music seem incomplete and perhaps even simplistic.The "building blocks" of his novel textures often consist of tunes with identifiable intervallic shapes, goal pitches, and defining durational patterns-organizations that engender continuity and connection.In other words, although its basic materials are combined into new, often dissonant and usually repetitive textures, those materials still originate in, and depend upon, traditional concepts of melody, harmony, and pulsation.

Presenting an innovative analytical model for Stravinsky's compositions, Building Blocks seeks a fuller perspective, and enables a fresh, insightful approach to this music and the theoretical constructs behind it. Author Gretchen Horlacher portrays the whole of Stravinsky's repertoire as radical or modern not because it eschews continuity and connection, but because it places them in relation to their opposites:the music holds our interest because undeniable references toward continuity are dynamically coordinated (rather than subsumed) with stasis and discontinuity.From this vantage point, Stravinsky's music becomes a commentary on the nature of time:the music draws into relation the tension between time as it is punctuated by fixed reference and as it flows from one event to another. It is quintessentially modern because of its inherent emphasis on multiple vantage points.

A sensitive and sophisticated approach to the work of this iconic composer, Building Blocks will appeal to students and scholars of Stravinsky and his music, scholars of musical modernism and twentieth century music, and to a more limited extent, to performers-particularly conductors, pianists, and orchestral instrumentalists. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description

Product Description
Revealing critical and biographical portrait of one of the 20th century’s most influential composers. Text surveys, analyzes and comments on the evolution of the composer’s works, offering fascinating behind-the-scenes accounts of the background and composition of such masterpieces as The Firebird, Petrouchka, Le Sacre du Printemps, Pulcinella and other compositions. 14 illustrations, 3 appendixes.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Of historical interest
This is the first edition and as such is probably more of interest to someone who owns and knows the later, revised, larger edition. A snapshot of a 'work-in-progress'. ... Read more

Product Description
Analytical and historical studies of the twentieth century's most influential musical figures, by Milton Babbitt, Arthur Berger, Edward T. Cone, Robert Craft, Claudio Spies, and others. ... Read more

Product Description
In contrast to the public image of Igor Stravinsky as a continually biting & witty figure, the author shows us at close range how the great composer pursued his beloved work while fulfilling the many obligations of both his public & private lives.From 1959 until Stravinsky's death in 1971, the author was privileged to work closely with this extraordinary man - first as personal manager & press representative, later as sometimes his secretary, occasionally his cook, his valet, his seamstress, frequently his chauffeur, very often his companion; & before his final illness, his nurse.The author tells of Stravinsky's daily life at home in Hollywood, his family circle, his friend, Robert Craft, his travels, concerts, recordings, battles against advancing age & illness.In addition to the text, there are several photos included. ... Read more

Product Description
In contrast to the public image of Igor Stravinsky as a continually biting & witty figure, the author shows us at close range how the great composer pursued his beloved work while fulfilling the many obligations of both his public & private lives.From 1959 until Stravinsky's death in 1971, the author was privileged to work closely with this extraordinary man - first as personal manager & press representative, later as sometimes his secretary, occasionally his cook, his valet, his seamstress, frequently his chauffeur, very often his companion; & before his final illness, his nurse.The author tells of Stravinsky's daily life at home in Hollywood, his family circle, his friend, Robert Craft, his travels, concerts, recordings, battles against advancing age & illness.In addition to the text, there are several photos included. ... Read more