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In Dean Dixon: Negro at Home, Maestro Abroad, conductor and scholar Rufus Jones Jr. brings to light a literal treasure trove of unpublished primary sources to tell the compelling story of this great American conductor. A testament to Dixon's resolve, this first-ever full-length biography of this American musical hero chronicles Dixon's musical upbringing, beginnings as a conductor, painful decision to leave his own country, rise to fame in Europe and his triumphant stand twenty-one years later w...

An introductory conducting text stressing baton technique, score preparation and special emphasis on rehearsal. Will also include musical excerpts for both choral and instrumental.

Robert Chesterman's interviews with conductors as celebrated as Leonard Bernstein, Claudio Abbado and Herbert von Karajan present fresh insights into their individual characters, their personal ideologies and their practical approaches - and in many cases, their private lives, their frank opinions of their fellow conductors - as well as into classical music in general.

"Face to Face with Orchestra and Chorus" is a crucial guide for choral conductors who are presented with the daunting task of conducting a full-size orchestra. This book provides a survival kit for both novice and experienced choral conductors, with an overview of the orchestral instruments and their particular needs, tips for rehearsing an orchestra effectively, and guidelines for proper baton technique. Conductors are walked through six case studies from the "Baroque and Classical periods", in...

The most brilliant British conductor of his generation, Simon Rattle has brought thrilling music-making to audiences around the world. Still in his mid-forties, Rattle becomes Music Director of the Berlin Philharmonic in 2002. What is the secret of his success, which has propelled him from being a Liverpool schoolboy with a fierce enthusiasm for getting orchestras together to his present stature as an internationally sought-after musician? Rattle is a musician for our times: a symphonic conducto...

Creative Research in Music explores what it means to be an artistic researcher in music in the twenty-first century. The book delineates the myriad processes that underpin successful artistic research in music, providing best practice exemplars ranging from Western classical art to local indigenous traditions, and from small to large-scale, multi-media and cross-cultural work formats. Drawing on the richness of creative research work at key institutions in South-East Asia and Australian, this bo...

Wilhelm Furtwängler (1886-1954) has entered the historical memory as a renowned interpreter of the canon of Austro-German musical masterworks. His extensive legacy of recorded performances of Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner and Wagneris widely regarded as unsurpassed. Yet more than sixty years after his death he remains a controversial figure: the complexities and equivocacy of his high-profile position within the Third Reich still cast a long shadow over hisreputation. This book builds an intelle...

Gunther Schuller is one of America's leading contemporary composers, conductors, and musicologists. He has become increasingly dismayed about the way contemporary orchestra leaders have been ignoring the composer's intentions in playing the basic concert repertory from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. In this controversial new book, Schuller puts forth his own principles of conducting, and then analyses in detail several classical masterpieces, comparing the composers' original notat...

In The Beat Stops Here: Lessons on and off the Podium for Today's Conductor, master conductor Mark Gibson addresses the technique of conducting as an extension of intimate knowledge of the score to the hands and arms. He employs a variety of everyday activities and motions (brushing the dog, Tinkerbelle, the "door knob") to describe the physical aspects of the role. He advocates a comprehensive, detailed approach to score study, addressing major works bar-by-bar in terms of both musical analysis...

How to teach Whole-class instrumental lessons presents 50 diverse ideas for teachers of every instrument. The ideas are concise, easy to implement and tackle everything from repertoire to behaviour management. Whether you're new to teaching or a seasoned practitioner, this practical handbook offers fresh and varied ways to invigorate lessons with any group.