Peter Warlock: The Life of Philip Heseltine (Clarendon Paperbacks) [Paperback]

Barry Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 23, 1996 | Series: Clarendon Paperbacks

Peter Warlock (Philip Heseltine) is one of the most fascinating and enigmatic of twentieth-century British composers. He was by turns a sensitive songwriter of remarkable genius, a witty and caustic critic, a rare scholar of early music, and a friend of some of the leading figures of the day--including William Walton, Jacob Epstein, and D. H. Lawrence. This is a complete account of this mercurial musician. Barry Smith uses new and often controversial material in telling his real, and frequently outrageous story. Here is the man, the composer, writer, and scholar, from his dangerous involvement in the occult to his long lasting loves and hates--all of which ended by his own hand in a gas-filled London flat on a cold winter's morning in 1930.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[A] splendid biography...one cannot easily imagine this study being superseded by a better one....It is extremely readable, and Barry Smith presents the facts in a lucid and straightforward way without, thankfully, being tempted to put Heseltine on the psychiatrist's couch. This finely-researched study not only brings forward much fresh material but also throws doubt on several aspects of Nigel Heseltine's Capriol for Mother. It can be thoroughly recommended to Warlockians and Delians alike."--The Delius Society Journal

About the Author

Barry Smith is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Cape Town, and organist at Cape Town Cathedral.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (May 23, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198166060
• ISBN-13: 978-0198166061
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,778,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST WORK TO DATE!, November 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Peter Warlock: The Life of Philip Heseltine (Clarendon Paperbacks) (Paperback)

Philip Heseltine. taking on many pseudonyms in his short life but better known as Peter Warlock, was editor of "The Sackbut", a publication that took a long time to materialize but was short lived. Generally controversial, the Sackbut was highly regarded by many and especially those who wished to see the "establishment" in the field of British music taken to task. It was Heseltine's pleasure to be one of, if not THE most vociferous critics of his time and history shows that his eloquent and learned use of the English language was used to its fullest degree.

This special paragraph

" . . music is neither old nor modern: it is either good or bad music, and the date at which it was written has no significance whatever. Dates and periods are of interest only to the student of musical history. . . . All old music was modern once, and much more of the music of yesterday already sounds more old-fashioned than works which were written three centuries ago. All good music, whatever its date, is ageless -- as alive and significant today as it was when it was written . . ."

can also be found on page 197 of Barry Smith's highly acclaimed book as titled above. Published in 1994, the centenary of Heseltine's birth, this book is perhaps only the second major and authoritative work on the subject of a controversial figure such as Heseltine. The first one by Warlock's friend and some time companion Cecil Gray, has been out of print for many years.

Published by Oxford University Press, this is an extremely well researched and written work. Warlock scholars are recommended to add this book to their small but unique collection of literature pertaining a figure (in the musical sense) of inimitable quality. Hardback and Paperback now available.

Richard Valentine