Customer Reviews

Dvorak : Romantic Music's Most Versatile Genius (with CD) (Unlocking the Masters Series)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

'... If one defines greatness as the ability to create a series of masterpieces over a broad range of musical media, then Dvorak was, demonstrably and without exaggeration, the greatest composer of the last half of the nineteenth century.' This quotation from Mr. Hurwitz leaves litle to question about his opinion of Dvorak. And in the last half of the nineteenth century when Brahms, Mahler, Wagner, Tchaikovshy, Verdi, Strauss, and Sibelius were working. Not a bad company with which to be associated.

Mr. Hurwitz has a reputation for taking the work of a composer (Wagner, Mahler, Mozart) and providing an insight into the music, it's history, it's derivation to give the reader a better understanding of the music you are hearing.

The book is about 250 pages long, and the book comes with two full length audio CD's containing 22 tracks of Dvorak's work. These serve to illustrate Mr. Hurwitz's commentary and analysis.

A book of this length and two classical CD's for this price is extraordinary in itself.