Clarendon Paperbacks
3 total works
William Walton's place in 20th century music cannot easily be assessed only a few years after his death. Regarded in his youth as an experimentalist and then hailed as Elgar's successor, he was increasingly "written off" by some critics for repeating himself and for failing to fulfil the promise of his early masterpieces. He was displaced by Britten and later by Tippett, yet he had champions among international conductors and soloists and his works retained their popularity with audiences. This biographical study of Walton draws on correspondence with his friends and colleagues, including Siegfried Sassoon, Benjamin Britten, Malcolm Arnold and Andre Previn, to provide a portrait of his contribution to 20th century classical music. Correspondence with the poet Christopher Hassall is included, with whom Walton fashioned the libretto of the opera "Troilus and Cressida". Assessing individual compositions, the author faces squarely the issue of whether the post-1945 works represented a decline in inspiration and creativity. Michael Kennedy has also written "Portrait of Elgar", "The Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams" and the "Oxford Dictionary of Music".
This is the authoritative account of Vaughan Williams's musical life - the story of a great composer's career, and at the same time the story of music in England over half a century and more. Kennedy considers the principal works in chronological order, outlining the main features of each and discussing details of the music's structure, often illuminating his point with a musical quotation. He also provides a good deal of biographical data, and so builds up a picture
of the composer, as well as providing thumbnail sketches of many of Vaughan Williams's friends and colleagues. Kennedy's extensive knowledge of Vaughan Williams's output also enables him to refer back and forth across the works to pick out lines of development and influence. The book includes a full
classified list of Vaughan Williams's works. Michael Kennedy has provided a new preface.
of the composer, as well as providing thumbnail sketches of many of Vaughan Williams's friends and colleagues. Kennedy's extensive knowledge of Vaughan Williams's output also enables him to refer back and forth across the works to pick out lines of development and influence. The book includes a full
classified list of Vaughan Williams's works. Michael Kennedy has provided a new preface.
First published in 1968, this biography of Edward Elgar--one of England's foremost twentieth-century composers--paints a compelling portrait of Elgar's complex personal and musical character. For this third edition, Kennedy has added new material and incorporated recent research, shedding new light into Elgar's early years. Kennedy has also revised and expanded the list of works.