On September 15, 1945 the composer Anton Webern was shot in confusing circumstances in a small mountain village near Salzburg. The world lost a composer of extreme originality whose mature music was still almost unknown. When Webern's works did come to light, he immediately became one of the most influential figures in music of the second half of this century. This book focuses on several aspects of Webern's life that have been treated only briefly in earlier accounts: his youthful instability, his often embarrassing dependence on Schoenberg, his naive nationalism and his absolute belief in the value of the brief moments of music he produced.
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Editorial Reviews
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' ... a very welcome contribution to the Webern literature.' Judy Brown, Music and Letters
' ... concise and clear-headed ...'. David Schiff, Times Literary Supplement
' ... a refreshing account which demystifies Webern without losing sight of the peculiar qualities of his music ...'. Julian Johnson, Musical Times
' ... concise and clear-headed ...'. David Schiff, Times Literary Supplement
' ... a refreshing account which demystifies Webern without losing sight of the peculiar qualities of his music ...'. Julian Johnson, Musical Times
Book Description
On 15 September 1945 the composer Anton Webern was shot in confusing circumstances in a small mountain village near Salzburg, and the world lost a composer of extreme originality whose mature music was still almost unknown. When Webern's works did come to light he immediately became one of the most influential figures in music of the second half of this century. This book focuses on several aspects of Webern's life that have been treated only briefly in earlier accounts: his youthful instability, his often embarrassing dependence on Schoenberg, his naive nationalism and his absolute belief in the value of the brief moments of music he produced.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Informative, but a rather dry listing of where he was when instead of a deep analysis of his music as connected to life,
This review is from: The Life of Webern (Musical Lives) (Paperback)
Kathryn Bailey's THE LIFE OF WEBERN is a concise (200-page) biography of the influential Viennese composer. Bailey made great use of Webern's own notebooks and correspondence to write the biography.The biography is especially entertaining for its account of Webern's early adulthood, where he never held a job for more than a brief period before fleeing back to Vienna, and when he was slavishly dedicated to Schoenberg. It is also surprisingly objective about Webern and his music. Bailey admits that his twelve-tone works, for all their elegance and charm, lack gestalt. She also discusses in deep Webern's political views in Austria of that period, when he was simultaneously praising the expansion of the German Reich and trying to maintain his mainly Jewish circle of friends. Finally, the discussion of Webern's demise establishes just how little we know about his shooting by an American soldier, and Bailey argues that most of the stories around it are mere rumour and fancy. Unfortunately, Bailey dwells very little on the music itself and Webern's thoughts in writing it. Much of it comes down to dull accounts of conducting performances. It also assumes a thorough knowledge of Webern's oeuvre before reading. Fans of the composer may want to seek this out, but I await a more substantial and balanced biography.
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
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This review is from: The Life of Webern (Musical Lives) (Paperback)
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Anton Friedrich Wilhelm von Webern was born on 3 December 1883 at the home of his parents, Carl and Amalie (nee Geer) von Webern, at Lowengasse 53a in Vienna's Third District. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ooo kronen, conducting engagements, second conductor, ofhis life, opus numbers Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Symphony Concert, Vienna Choral Society, Erwin Stein, Hildegard Jone, Ernst Diez, Verklärte Nacht, Vienna Opera, Arnold Schoenberg, Das Augenlicht, Fourth Symphony, Mödling Men's Choral Society, Richard Strauss, Anton Webern, Benno Mattel, Carl von Webern, David Josef Bach, Josef Hueber, Josef Polnauer, Maria Enzersdorf, Maria Halbich, Stefan George, Berg Concerto, Heinrich Jalowetz, Social Democratic Party, Third Reich New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Anton Friedrich Wilhelm von Webern was born on 3 December 1883 at the home of his parents, Carl and Amalie (nee Geer) von Webern, at Lowengasse 53a in Vienna's Third District. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ooo kronen, conducting engagements, second conductor, ofhis life, opus numbers Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Symphony Concert, Vienna Choral Society, Erwin Stein, Hildegard Jone, Ernst Diez, Verklärte Nacht, Vienna Opera, Arnold Schoenberg, Das Augenlicht, Fourth Symphony, Mödling Men's Choral Society, Richard Strauss, Anton Webern, Benno Mattel, Carl von Webern, David Josef Bach, Josef Hueber, Josef Polnauer, Maria Enzersdorf, Maria Halbich, Stefan George, Berg Concerto, Heinrich Jalowetz, Social Democratic Party, Third Reich New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 20
books:
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10
books
cite this book:
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- Path to the New Music by Anton Webern on 4 pages
- Webern Studies (Cambridge Composer Studies) by Kathryn Bailey in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Tristan and Isolde: English National Opera Guide 6 (English National Opera Guides) by Richard Wagner on page 29, and page 30
- Fundamentals of Musical Composition by Arnold Schoenberg on page 176, and Back Matter
- Violin Concerto (Penguin music scores) by Felix Mendelssohn on page 12
See all 20 books this book cites
- Webern and the Transformation of Nature by Julian Johnson in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Exploring Twentieth-Century Music: Tradition and Innovation by Arnold Whittall in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Strange Sounds: Music, Technology and Culture by Timothy D Taylor in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Musical Composition in the Twentieth Century by Arnold Whittall on page 45, and Back Matter
- Masterworks of 20th-Century Music: The Modern Repertory of the Symphony Orchestra by Douglas Lee in Back Matter
See all 10 books citing this book
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