A rare inside look at the evolution of the world's leading classical publisher and how it works with composers to shape music history. Rather than wage a price war, Leslie Boosey and Ralph Hawkes decided to merge their rival businesses in 1930. Signing Bartok and Strauss and investing in talented young composers like Britten and Copland, the company fully came of age with the acquisition of masterpieces by Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev. The 1980s saw a new flowering, with impressive signings in America and Europe, but not without internal struggles. Distinguished journalist and broadcaster Helen Wallace vividly charts the company's progress through boom years and unexpected financial threats, and reveals how artistic foresight has been balanced with commercial reality. "A surprisingly gripping narrative. For those who wonder what really goes on in music publishing, it offers a fascinating read." - BBC Music Magazine
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting reading,
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This review is from: BOOSEY & HAWKES: THE PUBLISHING STORY (Paperback)
Stories of music publishers are not often told but this is an opportunity to read about the background to the famous Boosey & Hawkes company.
The most interesting parts of the book are about the 1940s, when Ralph Hawkes was most active and the company acquired the rights to the works of important composers such as Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Rachmaninov as well as being the publishers of Copland and Britten. However the story becomes much less compelling after the death of Hawkes in 1950, and the account of the most recent decades focuses on boardroom battles and takeovers rather than interaction with composers, which would be of much greater interest to most readers. There are also some minor but irritating errors (for example Hubert Foss becomes "Herbert") and overall this book left me with a rather flat impression. However the earlier parts remain a worthwhile read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book about a great publisher,
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This review is from: BOOSEY & HAWKES: THE PUBLISHING STORY (Paperback)
This book gives the very interesting story of a music publisher which has been a major factor in the contemporary music of the 20th century. It gives detailed behind the scenes looks at the personalities of two very different individuals who combined to publish many of the 20th centuries greatest composers. It is a great eye-opener to an aspect of the music world that very few people ever think about.
A must read for every serious musician.
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Inside This Book
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Ralph Ilawkes, Regent Street, New York, The Boxford, The Górecki, Stuart Pope, Erwin Stein, David Adams, The Wigmore Hall, Kenneth Pool, Frank Connor, Ernst Roth, Maxwell Davies, Leopold Spinner, Carl Fischer, John Adams, Anthony Gishford, Leonard Bernstein, David Drew, Music Sales, Marion Thorpe, Peter Grimes, The Times, Benjamin Britten, Royal Opera Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
law kes, hire library, publishing policy Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Ralph Ilawkes, Regent Street, New York, The Boxford, The Górecki, Stuart Pope, Erwin Stein, David Adams, The Wigmore Hall, Kenneth Pool, Frank Connor, Ernst Roth, Maxwell Davies, Leopold Spinner, Carl Fischer, John Adams, Anthony Gishford, Leonard Bernstein, David Drew, Music Sales, Marion Thorpe, Peter Grimes, The Times, Benjamin Britten, Royal Opera Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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