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Celebrating its 100th anniversary, this extraordinary series continues to amaze and captivate its readers with detailed insight into the lives and work of music's geniuses. Unlike other composer biographies that focus narrowly on the music, this series explores the personal history of each composer and the social context surrounding the music. In a precise, engaging, and authoritative manner, each volume combines a vivid portrait of the master musicians' inspirations, influences, life experiences, even their weaknesses, with an accessible discussion of their work--all in roughly 300 pages. Further, each volume offers superb reference material, including a detailed life and times chronology, a complete list of works, a personalia glossary highlighting the important people in the composer's life, and a select bibliography. Under the supervision of music expert and series general editor Stanley Sadie, Master Musicians will certainly proceed to delight music scholars, serious musicians, and all music lovers for another hundred years.
This volume investigates the life and creative output of Johannes Brahms, seeking to reconcile his complex personal history with the structural innovations of his musical compositions. Malcolm MacDonald, a noted musicologist, utilizes primary source documents and historical context to frame Brahms not merely as a successor to Beethoven, but as a composer deeply rooted in the traditions of his era while navigating the shifting social landscape of 19th-century Europe. The text argues that understanding Brahms requires a dual focus on his private struggles and his rigorous approach to musical form.
What You Will Find
Experts and musicologists frequently cite this volume as a reliable and balanced resource for both students and enthusiasts of classical music. Readers often note the clarity of the prose, which manages to maintain academic rigor while remaining accessible to those without formal music theory training.
Page Count:
514
Publication Date:
2002-03-07
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
019816484X
ISBN-13:
9780198164845
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