Webern and the Lyric Impulse: Songs and Fragments on Poems of George Trakl (Studies in Musical Genesis and Structure) (Hardcover)

by Anne C. Shreffler (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Shreffler's skills as both archival detective and analytical interpreter combine to produce a convincing and absorbing narrative of the creative process."--The Musical Times
"Shreffler's prose is clear and engaging, and the ample musical examples are drawn mostly from material hitherto unavailable....This model study of musical structure and genesis belongs in all serious music libraries, "pper-division undergraduate and above."--Choice
"An important book, and a timely one."--Tempo


Product Description
This study provides a new view of a composer long considered to be one of the century's most rigorously intellectual creators, Anton Webern. By examining a central pre-twelve-tone work, the Trakl cycle, Op 14, in the context of the Viennese intellectual and artistic climate, Shreffler shows how Webern's responses to Trakl's complex verse enabled him to expand his musical vocabulary. The author's emphasis on Webern's compositional process is of particular importance: whether because of the anxiety of creating a new musical language, or because of an innate hyper-perfectionism (or both), Webern rejected most of what he composed. A close examination of the manuscript sources--fragments, sketches, and fair copies--of Webern's comparatively neglected middle-period lieder enables her to shed light on Webern's musical language and his working methods.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 278 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; illustrated edition edition (February 23, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198162243
• ISBN-13: 978-0198162247
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,922,705 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)