Bruckner (Master Musicians Series) [Hardcover]

Derek Watson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Master Musicians Series | Publication Date: January 1997

Celebrating its 100th anniversary, this extraordinary series continues to amaze and captivate its readers with detailed insight into the lives and work of music's geniuses. Unlike other composer biographies that focus narrowly on the music, this series explores the personal history of each composer and the social context surrounding the music. In a precise, engaging, and authoritative manner, each volume combines a vivid portrait of the master musicians' inspirations, influences, life experiences, even their weaknesses, with an accessible discussion of their work-all in roughly 300 pages. Further, each volume offers superb reference material, including a detailed life and times chronology, a complete list of works, a personalia glossary highlighting the important people in the composer's life, and a select bibliography. Under the supervision of music expert and series general editor Stanley Sadie, Master Musicians will certainly proceed to delight music scholars, serious musicians, and all music lovers for another hundred years.
This particular volume contains a vivid account of Bruckner's struggles and achievements both in his personal life and in his creative career. The later chapters cover each of his works in detail, from the mighty span of the mature symphonies to the smallest of his undeservedly neglected motets. As well, the characteristic features of his art and his strikingly individual conception of mass and symphony are discussed and set alongside the works of his contemporaries.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A first rate introduction to the man and his music."--Music in Education

"Derek Watson's book is ideal as an overview with some equally interesting observations. It will attract anyone who prefers less detailed analysis and, indeed, anyone new to Bruckner."--The Bruckner Journal

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Derek Watson is a freelance writer, and the author of Liszt in the Master Musicians series.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 158 pages
• Publisher: Schirmer Books; Subsequent edition (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028646266
• ISBN-13: 978-0028646268
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #786,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful!, January 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Bruckner (Master Musicians) (Paperback)

Derek Watson is one of the only critics who truly understands Bruckner's art. With his intimate knowledge of Bruckner's style, Watson effectively refutes the erroneous arguments of Bruckner's detractors. This biography is compact, but it covers all the important aspects of Bruckner's life and work. It also contains a complete categorized list of Bruckner's compositions and short biographies of important people in Bruckner's life. Any aspiring Brucknerian should not be without this book!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bruckner's Best Critical Bio..., July 23, 2007

By 

Sébastien Melmoth (Hôtel d'Alsace, PARIS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bruckner (Master Musicians) (Paperback)

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Oxford UP reissued the old Dent Master Musicians series in updated texts. Unfortunately, Oxford quickly let the series go out of print.

Watson's Bruckner is about the best critical bio around. It's not perfect, but till we get a better, it's all we've got.

Bruckner is still not well understood: certainly less so than Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Wagner, Mahler, et alii.
He was a trained school teacher who was well versed in Latin; moreover, he was a professional organist appointed to the royal house of Hapsburg, who toured Europe representing the Austro-Hungarian empire.
He was fęted in Paris by César Franck, Charles Gounod, Camille Saint-Saëns, and Ambroise Thomas (president of the Paris Conservatoire) [tough crowd!!] when he performed on the Cavaillé-Coll organ of la Notre Dame de Paris.
He performed to much acclaim at the Cyrstal Palace in London.
Furthermore, of course, he was a professional musician who had completed full courses with Schubert's teacher Simon Sechter; and whose works were performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
To crown his lifetime's work, in 1895 he was awarded a Ph.D. by the University of Vienna.

Dr. Bruckner was a very complex man who practiced sincere humility.
And as Oscar Wilde aptly says, "Simplicity is the last refuge of the complex."

Look for other books in this series: Schoenberg (Master Musicians Series) ; Franck (Master Musicians Series) ; Chopin (Master Musicians Series) ; Schubert (Master Musicians Series) ; Brahms (Master Musicians Series) ; Mahler (Master Musicians Series) ; Bach (Master Musicians Series) ; Beethoven (Master Musicians Series) .
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