Paris during the Twenties was a cheap place for travellers, so everybody went there. It was, as Stravinsky said, the hub of the musical world. As a result, few decades in the life of any European city have been as rich in musical personalities and achievements.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Nichols (The Life of Debussy; Satie Remembered) draws a detailed picture of the vibrant, often risque Parisian musical culture that flowered after the near debacle of WWI. The author eschews a chronological approach in favor of devoting individual chapters to the different musical institutions: the various orchestra series that had long been a major feature of Parisian musical life and played such an important role in introducing Wagner to French audiences; the opera houses and ballet companies; and the salons and their hostesses, like the Singer sewing machine heiress the princesse de Polignac. Nichols gives overdue attention to the Ballets Suedois, which is usually overshadowed by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. Its founder, Rolf de Mare, provided opportunities for many young composers during the 1920s and discovered Josephine Baker. Nichols's writing is inconsistent, alternating between dry academic recitations and a more casual program-notes style. The book's compartmentalized structure works well enough until the last two chapters, when it unravels into a series of short, somewhat disconnected sections; the penultimate chapter on the leading composers of the '20s will probably satisfy few fans of their music. Nichols has many lively insights, but this study will appeal mainly to academics and die-hard music history buffs. 60 b&w photos.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
From the Inside Flap
"The Harlequin Years presents a highly readable yet thorough examination of the Parisian music scene in the decade following World War I. Through Nichols's lively prose and in his accounts of institutional politics, reception histories, and behind-the-scenes debates, these places and personalities spring to life."--Susan McClary, author of Conventional Wisdom
--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet.
|
|||
|
Video reviews
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
