The second title in the Amadeus Press Parallel Lives series, this volume examines the lives and work of two giants of 20th century music. Both composers influenced countless others, and their works are performed often in today's concert and opera houses.
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" . . . the biographical sketches and essays are simply written and easy to breeze through. . . ." -- New York Sun, July 5, 2005
". . . a praiseworthy study . . ." -- American Music Teacher, October/November 2005
"Felsenfeld proves to have an excellent ear and the ability to explain clearly what he hears . . ." -- Bay Area Reporter, June 9, 2005
"The descriptions [of the pieces] are jargon-free . . ." -- Synphony Magazine, January/February 2006
"[A] splendid paperback . . . in the fascinating new Parallel Lives series from Amadeus Press." -- American Record Guide, January/February 2006
". . . a praiseworthy study . . ." -- American Music Teacher, October/November 2005
"Felsenfeld proves to have an excellent ear and the ability to explain clearly what he hears . . ." -- Bay Area Reporter, June 9, 2005
"The descriptions [of the pieces] are jargon-free . . ." -- Synphony Magazine, January/February 2006
"[A] splendid paperback . . . in the fascinating new Parallel Lives series from Amadeus Press." -- American Record Guide, January/February 2006
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
A golden opportunity botched,
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This review is from: Benjamin Britten & Samuel Barber: Their Lives and Their Music (Amadeus) (Paperback)
Anyone interested in Barber's life and/or music should seek out the amazing bio by Barbara Heyman, Samuel Barber - The Composer and his Music (Oxford U. Press). As a lifelong student of the career & music of Barber, I was upset to read this recent book. It contains numerous inaccuracies, half-truths, ambiguities, and similarly misleading statements. And was there ANY attempt at editing the ms? The text is likewise marred by errors in usage, punctuation, even vocabulary. The Britten section has the same problems. And while the recorded music samples on the attached cd are most welcome, they do not fairly represent the composers, either - it's all from the "middle period" of each man and don't properly represent either composer's stylistic breadth. The concept of a brief book introducing these composers to the lay listener, with listening excerpts provided in the package, is a fine one, which makes me doubly sad that this project is such a disappointment. P.S. Having heard from the author, I now understand why some of the above-mentioned faults exist - and must say I'm shocked that a publisher I once respected, Amadeus, would let something like this happen. It's a disservice to the author as well as the public and the subjects of the book.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Filled with Errors,
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This review is from: Benjamin Britten & Samuel Barber: Their Lives and Their Music (Amadeus) (Paperback)
Samuel Barber has been neglected in print (only one major biography and a whole lot else) so whenever a new book comes along, it's a welcome thing. Unfortunately any of the merits of this book are completely outweighed by the fact that the book is completely filled with errors. If you are a dilettante and are just looking for a breezy, easy read, it's fine for that. But for the more serious reader, interested in accuracy and real scholarship, this book should be avoided.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A welcome addition to Barber research!!,
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This review is from: Benjamin Britten & Samuel Barber: Their Lives and Their Music (Amadeus) (Paperback)
I was so pleased to find that this book had just come out! I'm researching Barber for a Masters Thesis project and enjoyed the information presented-some that has not been discussed in the handful of books about him. Very interesting to see the similarities between him and Britten. The CD that comes with it is also nice. Well-written and a good read!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Childhood was a gorgeous time for Benjamin Britten, something to which, in his music, in his life, he retreated often. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Peter Grimes, Benjamin Britten, Samuel Barber, New York, The Turn of the Screw, Miss Jessel, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Aldeburgh Festival, Billy Budd, Eric Crozier, Peter Quint, Henry James, Sidney Homer, Barbara Heyman, Covent Garden, Donald Mitchell, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Opera, Midsummer Night's Dream, Owen Wingrave, The Rape of Lucretia, Arturo Toscanini, George Crabbe, Martha Graham New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Childhood was a gorgeous time for Benjamin Britten, something to which, in his music, in his life, he retreated often. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Peter Grimes, Benjamin Britten, Samuel Barber, New York, The Turn of the Screw, Miss Jessel, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Aldeburgh Festival, Billy Budd, Eric Crozier, Peter Quint, Henry James, Sidney Homer, Barbara Heyman, Covent Garden, Donald Mitchell, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Opera, Midsummer Night's Dream, Owen Wingrave, The Rape of Lucretia, Arturo Toscanini, George Crabbe, Martha Graham New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 61
books:
See all 61 books this book cites
- Peter Grimes (Project Drama) by Michael Marland on 14 pages
- Benjamin Britten: Death in Venice (Cambridge Opera Handbooks) by Donald Mitchell on 8 pages
- The Turn of the Screw (Dover Thrift Editions) by Henry James on 5 pages
- Dictionary Of Music And Musicians (9 Volumes)) (Music Book Index) by Sir George Grove on 5 pages
- Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare on page 78, page 79, and Back Matter
See all 61 books this book cites
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