This is the story of Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957), who bridged the worlds of serious music, operetta and film scores. The son of Vienna's most powerful turn-of-the-century music critic, he achieved legendary status as a child-prodigy composer with the operas "Violanta" and "Die Tote Stadt". Pressures of adult life steered him into arranging the operettas of Johann Strauss, his contemporaries and then Hollywood. Korngold became a highly regarded composer of incidental music for films such as "Sea Hawk" and "The Adventures of Robin Hood". He ignored the changing tides of musical fashion, and continued to write in his own romantic idiom, creating scores which establish him - within the film-music genres - as one of this century's most influential composers. This study offers a reappraisal of his life and works. This text is part of the 20th-century composers series, examining composers in a biographical context, and offering a comprehensive study of key figures in the creation of 20th-century music. None of the books in the series presume a knowledge of specialized terms or musical notation. Each book in the series features a list of works, a bibliography, and a discography.
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The 20th century has seen the triumphal progression of an avant-garde aesthetic in virtually every field of art: theater, painting, and even music. But what of those artists who don't toe the fashionable line? Erich Wolfgang Korngold, like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was a child prodigy. Also like Mozart, he had a domineering father. Julius Korngold was a musical archconservative and he carefully guided the genius of his second son into respectable forms of musical expression, even while others began experimenting with serialism and jazz.
When their native Austria was incorporated into the Third Reich, the Korngolds wisely took up residence in America, where Erich earned a comfortable living scoring music for Hollywood blockbusters. Korngold was a perfectionist with an almost operatic approach to his film work, but his tonal proclivities and work in popular music ruined his status as a serious musician--at least in the eyes of the musical establishment. The last few years have seen a rise in Korngold's popularity among America's musical movers and shakers, and a new appreciation for his work, cinematic and otherwise, has developed. Jessica Duchen's well-considered discussion of the life and work of this intriguing man should continue the much-needed rehabilitation of the long-embattled tonal composers of this century.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A superb, readable introduction to a wonderful composer,
By A Customer
This review is from: Erich Wolfgang Korngold (20th Century Composers) (Paperback)
Erich Wolfgang Korngold is a composer who for far too long was known only to film buffs and a few aficionados here and there. His centenary in 1996 brought with it a tremendous rush of reappraisal, recordings and performances, all of which have helped to re-establish Korngold as a force to be reckoned with. I certainly found this book inspired me to explore works that I did not already know and much enriched my view of those I did know, especially the intensely powerful opera 'Die tote Stadt'. My opinion is that this writer has a tremendous empathy for Korngold, his music and the eras through which he lived - fin-de-siecle Vienna, 1940s Hollywood and the devastated, artistically rigid post-war Europe of the 1950s. Furthermore, she is able to bring him to life with a delightfully light touch, looking at not only his complicated and crucially influential relationship with his father but also his famously sharp wit and his love of good food - especially chocolate! While the book is evidently shorter and less detailed than Brendan Carroll's tour de force 'The Last Prodigy', it provides a superb introduction to this endearing composer and his warm, open-hearted music. What's more, it kept me reading, from cover to cover - on the beach!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good well written stopgap,
By A Customer
This review is from: Erich Wolfgang Korngold (20th Century Composers) (Paperback)
Jessica's bio of EWK (as we affectionately abbreviate him) was for me a wonderful glint into a life which was heretofore hidden. Those in the know were anticipating Brendan Carroll's "definitive" biography. Jessica's book gave us an overdue insight into the life of this genius in the absence of anything else. Now, it seems that we have an embarassement of riches, with Carroll's exhaustive bio and the ongoing recording revival. All of this should not obscure Duchen's acheivement in bringing to life a man who was for most an elusive character. Duchen's prose is mellifluous, and has a touch of humour(see when she writes of Korngold's love of sweets). The timing of this book's appearance may have been a bit off, but it will still hold its place. There is some inevitable repetition between the Duchen and Carroll books, no doubt having consulted the same sources. Yet each book has an individual character. There can never be too much written about one of the most misunderstood composers of our world. Duchen deserves kudos for bringing out the first ever English language book on Korngold. Her acheivement serves as an economical and invaluable alternative to Carroll's lengthier, more in-depth, and required opus.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Korngold is golden,
By Finn Bell (Missouri) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Erich Wolfgang Korngold (20th Century Composers) (Paperback)
Wow, this book is a real gem when it comes to Korngold's life and works. A little too much detail with some of the musical analysis for my taste, but I felt thoroughly enlightened. His personal life begins in his prodigious gifts as a child. Korngold's music is experiencing a revival, and with good reason. One of the most influential early film composers (John Williams was influenced by him). Recommend 4 outta 5 stars.
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