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A Feminist Ethnomusicology: Writings on Music and Gender
by Ellen Koskoff Suzanne CusickOne of the pioneers of gender studies in music, Ellen Koskoff edited the foundational text Women and Music in Cross Cultural Perspective, and her career evolved in tandem with the emergence and development of the field. In this intellectual memoir, Koskoff describes her journey through the maze of social history and scholarship related to her work examining the intersection of music and gender. Koskoff collects new, revised, and hard-to-find published material from mid-1970s through 2010 to trace the evolution of ethnomusicological thinking about women, gender, and music, offering a perspective of how questions emerged and changed in those years, as well as Koskoff's reassessment of the early years and development of the field. Her goal: a personal map of the different paths to understanding she took over the decades, and how each inspired, informed, and clarified her scholarship. For example, Koskoff shows how a preference for face-to-face interactions with living people served her best in her research, and how her now-classic work within Brooklyn's Hasidic community inflamed her feminist consciousness while leading her into ethnomusicological studies. An uncommon merging of retrospective and rumination, A Feminist Ethnomusicology: Writings on Music and Gender offers a witty and disarmingly frank tour through the formative decades of the field and will be of interest to ethnomusicologists, anthropologists, scholars of the history and development of feminist thought, and those engaged in fieldwork. Includes a foreword by Suzanne Cusick framing Koskoff's career and an extensive bibliography provided by the author.
A Few Honest Words: The Kentucky Roots of Popular Music
by Jason Howard&“This book&’s combination of interviews and history makes for an entertaining study of the heart of American roots music.&” —Library Journal In industry circles, musicians from Kentucky are known to possess an enviable pedigree—a lineage as prized as the bloodline of any bluegrass-raised Thoroughbred. With native sons and daughters like Naomi and Wynonna Judd, Loretta Lynn, the Everly Brothers, Joan Osborne, and Merle Travis, it&’s no wonder that the state is most often associated with folk, country, and bluegrass music. But Kentucky&’s contribution to American music is much broader: It&’s the rich and resonant cello of Ben Sollee, the velvet crooning of jazz great Helen Humes, and the famed vibraphone of Lionel Hampton. It&’s exemplified by hip-hop artists like the Nappy Roots and indie folk rockers like the Watson Twins. It goes beyond the hallowed mandolin of Bill Monroe and banjo of the Osborne Brothers to encompass the genres of blues, jazz, rock, gospel, and hip-hop.A Few Honest Words explores how Kentucky&’s landscape, culture, and traditions have influenced notable contemporary musicians. Featuring intimate interviews with household names (Naomi Judd, Joan Osborne, and Dwight Yoakam), emerging artists, and local musicians, Jason Howard&’s rich and detailed profiles reveal the importance of the state and the Appalachian region to the creation and performance of music in America. &“Skillfully documents a new era of Kentucky roots music. His book deserves a place in the history of American song.&” —The Courier-Journal
A Few Words in Defense of Our Country: The Biography of Randy Newman
by Robert Hilburn'Randy Newman is our great master of American song and storytelling' Bruce Springsteen'At last, the biography that Randy Newman has long deserved. The emotional precision, the humour and sweep, the truths and secrets behind his remarkable body of work . . . it's all here in Robert Hilburn's heartfelt and indispensable account of America's finest songwriter. Leave it to Hilburn to pull back the curtain on the incredible life of Newman, a shy genius who clearly trusted him enough to point him in all the right directions. It's more than a great read, it's an invitation to re-visit Randy Newman's work with renewed appreciation for the man who uniquely defined the American Experience just when we needed it most' Cameron CroweRandy Newman is widely hailed as one of America's all-time greatest songwriters, equally skilled in the sophisticated melodies and lyrics of the Gershwin-Porter era and the cultural commentary of his own generation, with Bob Dylan and Paul Simon among his most ardent admirers. While tens of millions around the world can hum 'You've Got a Friend in Me', his disarming centrepiece for Toy Story, most of them would be astonished to learn that the heart of Newman's legacy is in the dozens of brilliant songs that detail the injustices, from racism to class inequality, that have contributed to the division of our nation. Rolling Stone declared that a single Newman song, 'Sail Away', tells us more about America than 'The Star-Spangled Banner'. And yet, his legacy remains largely undocumented in book form - until now.In A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY, veteran music journalist Robert Hilburn presents the definitive portrait of an American legend. Hilburn has known Newman since his club debut at the Troubadour in 1970, and the two have maintained a connection in the decades since, conversing over the course of times good and bad. Though Newman has long refused to talk with potential biographers, he now gives Hilburn unprecedented access not only to himself but also to his archives, as well as his family, friends, and collaborators. Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, John Williams, Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Chuck D, James Taylor, and New York Times' Pulitzer-winning columnists, Thomas Friedman and Wesley Morris, among others, contributed to the book. In addition to exploring Newman's prolific career and the evolution of his songwriting, A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY also dives into his childhood and early influences, his musical family that ruled Hollywood movie scores for decades, the relationships that have provided inspiration for his songs, and so much more.As thought-provoking and thorough as it is tender, this book is an overdue tribute to the legendary songwriter whose music has long reflected and challenged the America we know today.
A Few Words in Defense of Our Country: The Biography of Randy Newman
by Robert Hilburn'Randy Newman is our great master of American song and storytelling' Bruce Springsteen'At last, the biography that Randy Newman has long deserved. The emotional precision, the humour and sweep, the truths and secrets behind his remarkable body of work . . . it's all here in Robert Hilburn's heartfelt and indispensable account of America's finest songwriter. Leave it to Hilburn to pull back the curtain on the incredible life of Newman, a shy genius who clearly trusted him enough to point him in all the right directions. It's more than a great read, it's an invitation to re-visit Randy Newman's work with renewed appreciation for the man who uniquely defined the American Experience just when we needed it most' Cameron CroweRandy Newman is widely hailed as one of America's all-time greatest songwriters, equally skilled in the sophisticated melodies and lyrics of the Gershwin-Porter era and the cultural commentary of his own generation, with Bob Dylan and Paul Simon among his most ardent admirers. While tens of millions around the world can hum 'You've Got a Friend in Me', his disarming centrepiece for Toy Story, most of them would be astonished to learn that the heart of Newman's legacy is in the dozens of brilliant songs that detail the injustices, from racism to class inequality, that have contributed to the division of our nation. Rolling Stone declared that a single Newman song, 'Sail Away', tells us more about America than 'The Star-Spangled Banner'. And yet, his legacy remains largely undocumented in book form - until now.In A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY, veteran music journalist Robert Hilburn presents the definitive portrait of an American legend. Hilburn has known Newman since his club debut at the Troubadour in 1970, and the two have maintained a connection in the decades since, conversing over the course of times good and bad. Though Newman has long refused to talk with potential biographers, he now gives Hilburn unprecedented access not only to himself but also to his archives, as well as his family, friends, and collaborators. Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, John Williams, Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Chuck D, James Taylor, and New York Times' Pulitzer-winning columnists, Thomas Friedman and Wesley Morris, among others, contributed to the book. In addition to exploring Newman's prolific career and the evolution of his songwriting, A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY also dives into his childhood and early influences, his musical family that ruled Hollywood movie scores for decades, the relationships that have provided inspiration for his songs, and so much more.As thought-provoking and thorough as it is tender, this book is an overdue tribute to the legendary songwriter whose music has long reflected and challenged the America we know today.
A Few Words in Defense of Our Country: The Biography of Randy Newman
by Robert Hilburn&“Randy Newman is our great master of American song and storytelling."--Bruce Springsteen &“At last, the biography that Randy Newman has long deserved. The emotional precision, the humor and sweep, the truths and secrets behind his remarkable body of work . . . it&’s all here in Robert Hilburn&’s heartfelt and indispensable account of America&’s finest songwriter. Leave it to Hilburn to pull back the curtain on the incredible life of Newman, a shy genius who clearly trusted him enough to point him in all the right directions. It&’s more than a great read, it&’s an invitation to re-visit Randy Newman&’s work with renewed appreciation for the man who uniquely defined the American Experience just when we needed it most.&”--Cameron Crowe "[A] penetrating biography. . . . While the book posits Newman as a writer of sociopolitical import, its emotional narrative is driven by the more personal aspects of his story: a complex family legacy, childhood struggles with strabismus (crossed eyes) and a lifelong tendency toward sadness and isolation."--Bob Mehr, New York Times "An illuminating and masterful achievement."--Booklist (starred review) The definitive biography of songwriter Randy Newman, told with his full cooperation, by acclaimed biographer and longtime Los Angeles Times music critic, Robert Hilburn Randy Newman is widely hailed as one of America&’s all-time greatest songwriters, equally skilled in the sophisticated melodies and lyrics of the Gershwin-Porter era and the cultural commentary of his own generation, with Bob Dylan and Paul Simon among his most ardent admirers. While tens of millions around the world can hum &“You&’ve Got a Friend in Me,&” his disarming centerpiece for Toy Story, most of them would be astonished to learn that the heart of Newman&’s legacy is in the dozens of brilliant songs that detail the injustices, from racism to class inequality, that have contributed to the division of our nation. Rolling Stone declared that a single Newman song, &“Sail Away,&” tells us more about America than &“The Star-Spangled Banner.&” And yet, his legacy remains largely undocumented in book form—until now. In A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY, veteran music journalist Robert Hilburn presents the definitive portrait of an American legend. Hilburn has known Newman since his club debut at the Troubadour in 1970, and the two have maintained a connection in the decades since, conversing over the course of times good and bad. Though Newman has long refused to talk with potential biographers, he now gives Hilburn unprecedented access not only to himself but also to his archives, as well as his family, friends, and collaborators. Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, John Williams, Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Chuck D, James Taylor, and New York Times&’ Pulitzer-winning columnists, Thomas Friedman and Wesley Morris, among others, contributed to the book. In addition to exploring Newman&’s prolific career and the evolution of his songwriting, A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY also dives into his childhood and early influences, his musical family that ruled Hollywood movie scores for decades, the relationships that have provided inspiration for his songs, and so much more. As thought-provoking and thorough as it is tender, this book is an overdue tribute to the legendary songwriter whose music has long reflected and challenged the America we know today.
A Fiddle For Angus
by Budge WilsonAngus' family is musical. Everyone has their own instrument and everyone knows how to make music. But Angus can only hum along to his family's playing, and humming isn't good enough. Angus wants to join his family's orchestra. When Angus' father tells him the family will give him an instrument, he can't choose until he hears the fiddle at a ceilidh. But fiddling is hard; he can't make the music he wants. With patience, practice, and lots of lessons, Angus' fingers learn how to play, and the music inside him finds a way out. Budge Wilson's story will ring true for every young musician and is a fitting tribute to the music makers of Cape Breton.
A Fiddler's Tale
by Louis KaufmanThis fascinating memoir, written by one of the greatest American violinists of the twentieth century, recounts an extraordinary life in music. Once called by the New York Times "a violinist's violinist and a musician's musician," Louis Kaufman was born in 1905 in Portland, Oregon. He studied violin with Franz Kneisl at New York's Institute of Musical Art. He was the original violist of the Musical Art Quartet (1926-1933) and won the Naumburg Award in 1928, the year of his American solo recital debut in New York's Town Hall. During these early years, he played chamber music with Pablo Casals, Mischa Elman, Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Kreisler, Gregor Piatigorsky, and Efrem Zimbalist, among others. After performing the violin solos for Ernst Lubitsch's 1934 film The Merry Widow, Kaufman became the most sought after violin soloist in Hollywood, playing in some 500 films, including Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, The Diary of Anne Frank, Wuthering Heights, The Grapes of Wrath, and Spartacus. He worked closely with Robert Russell Bennett, Bernard Herrmann, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Alfred Newman, Miklós Rózsa, Max Steiner, Franz Waxman, and Victor Young. Extraordinary as it seems today, Kaufman was largely responsible for bringing the once-forgotten music of Antonio Vivaldi to its current popularity worldwide among both classical musicians and the general population of music lovers. The book includes a music CD with Kaufman’s performances of Vivaldi’s Concerto 2 of op. 9, Havanaise by Camille Saint Saëns, Nocturne for Violin and Piano by Aaron Copland, Much Ado about Nothing Suite for violin and piano by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Jerome Kern, among other favorites.
A Field Guide to Student Teaching in Music
by Rita Klinger Ann C. ClementsA Field Guide to Student Teaching in Music is a practical guide focused on the link between music education coursework and the field-based aspects of the student teaching experience. It addresses general topics that are common to all music placements, as well as those topics that are of specific interest to the general, choral, and instrumental music classrooms. This text builds on theoretical materials typically covered in music methods courses, yet it is not specific to any one particular teaching pedagogy, making it flexible enough for use in a variety of music teaching settings. It will guide students through the student teaching process as they make the transition from student to music educator.
A Field Guide to Student Teaching in Music
by Ann C. Clements Sarah H. Watts Douglas C. McCallA Field Guide to Student Teaching in Music, Second Edition, serves as a practical guide for the music education student, one that recognizes the importance of effective coursework while addressing the unique field-based aspects of the music classroom. Student teaching in music is a singular experience, presenting challenges beyond those encountered in general education classroom settings: educators must plan for singing and movement, performances and rehearsals, intensive parent involvement, uniforms, community outreach, and much more. This guide explores such topics common to all music placements as well as those specific to general, choral, and instrumental music classrooms, building on theoretical materials often covered in music methods courses and yet not beholden to any one pedagogy, thus allowing for a dynamic and flexible approach for various classroom settings. New to the second edition: Companion website featuring downloadable worksheets, résumé support, a cooperating teacher guide, and more: www.musicstudentteaching.com A new chapter on the transition from student to student teacher Expanded discussions on the interview process, including mock interviews, interviewing techniques, and online interview prep Updated content throughout to reflect current practices in the field. Leading readers through the transition from student to teacher, A Field Guide to Student Teaching in Music, Second Edition, represents a necessary update to the first edition text published a decade ago, an indispensable resource that provides the insights and skillsets students need to launch successful careers as music educators.
A Fiery Gospel: The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the Road to Righteous War (Religion and American Public Life)
by Richard M. GambleSince its composition in Washington's Willard Hotel in 1861, Julia Ward Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Republic" has been used to make America and its wars sacred. Few Americans reflect on its violent and redemptive imagery, drawn freely from prophetic passages of the Old and New Testaments, and fewer still think about the implications of that apocalyptic language for how Americans interpret who they are and what they owe the world. In A Fiery Gospel, Richard M. Gamble describes how this camp-meeting tune, paired with Howe's evocative lyrics, became one of the most effective instruments of religious nationalism. He takes the reader back to the song's origins during the Civil War, and reveals how those political and military circumstances launched the song's incredible career in American public life. Gamble deftly considers the idea behind the song—humming the tune, reading the music for us—all while reveling in the multiplicity of meanings of and uses to which Howe's lyrics have been put. "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" has been versatile enough to match the needs of Civil Rights activists and conservative nationalists, war hawks and peaceniks, as well as Europeans and Americans. This varied career shows readers much about the shifting shape of American righteousness. Yet it is, argues Gamble, the creator of the song herself—her Abolitionist household, Unitarian theology, and Romantic and nationalist sensibilities—that is the true conductor of this most American of war songs. A Fiery Gospel depicts most vividly the surprising genealogy of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," and its sure and certain position as a cultural piece in the uncertain amalgam that was and is American civil religion.
A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs
by David LehmanWith a poet's eye for language and nuance, Lehman takes a personal journey into the past of American music, showing how the songs that we view as quintessentially American were almost all written by Jews, many of them immigrants. Recounting the stories behind numerous songs and shows, the author explains how Jewish songsmiths combined their native plaintiveness and wit with Black blues to create a distinctively American musical form. With analytical skill, wit, and exuberance, Lehman helps readers understand how natural it is that Wizard of Oz composer Harold Arlen was the son of a cantor who incorporated "Over the Rainbow" into his Sabbath liturgy Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
A First Book of American Folk Songs: 25 Favorite Pieces in Easy Piano Arrangements (Dover Classical Piano Music For Beginners)
by BergeracYoung pianists and their teachers will welcome this treasury of favorites in musically attractive and pedagogically sound arrangements for beginners. Bergerac has written exclusively for young pianists since 1967, including original music and many easy arrangements of folk materials. His expert settings explore a full and satisfying piano sound within the natural capabilities of the beginning performer.The songs in this varied collection -- arranged in their approximate order of difficulty -- are presented in large, clear, easy-to-read musical notation, and are accompanied by delightful illustrations suggested by this charming music. The songs included are Amazing Grace (in two arrangements); I've Been Working on the Railroad; As We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush; Maryland, My Maryland!; Aura Lea; The Old Chisholm Trail; Billy Boy; Polly-Wolly-Doodle; Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair; Pop Goes the Weasel!; Blow the Man Down!; Short'nin' Bread; Blue-Tail Fly (Jimmy Crack Corn); Skip to My Lou; Buffalo Gals; Sweet Betsy from Pike; Deep River; Thanksgiving Prayer; Down by the Riverside (We Gather Together); The Farmer in the Dell; Turkey in the Straw; The Gift to Be Simple; Yankee Doodle Dandy; Go Down, Moses (Let My People Go); and The Yellow Rose of Texas.
A First Book of Bach: For The Beginning Pianist with Downloadable MP3s (Dover Classical Piano Music For Beginners)
by David DutkaniczThese special arrangements offer beginning pianists the pleasure and satisfaction of playing Bach. Students of all ages will delight in these easy, pedagogical piano arrangements of familiar melodies such as "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," "Sheep May Safely Graze," and the haunting opening from the "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor."Arranged in order of approximate difficulty, 26 selections include "Air on a G String," "Wachet Auf," and highlights from the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, and the Inventions. Additional features include a generous assortment of menuets, gavottes, bourrées, and other fun-to-play pieces.
A First Book of Beethoven: 24 Arrangements for the Beginning Pianist with Downloadable MP3s
by David DutkaniczSpecially arranged and simplified, these pieces offer beginners the pleasure and satisfaction of playing Beethoven. Students and teachers alike will delight in such popular melodies as "Für Elise," "Ode to Joy," and the haunting opening of the Moonlight Sonata.A First Book of Beethoven features 24 selections, including "Romance in F," "Turkish March," "Minuet in G," and "Bagatelle in G Minor." It includes excerpts from the sonatas--such as the opening of the 2nd movement of Sonata No. 14, the "Adagio" from Piano Sonata No. 5, and "Adagio Cantabile" from Sonata No. 8--as well as highlights from the symphonies.Along with the twenty-four piano arrangements, this collection includes a free MP3 download for every piece, which will help beginning pianists develop an ear for the melodies. The MP3s may be downloaded individually or collectively.
A First Book of Blues: 16 Arrangements for the Beginning Pianist (Dover Classical Piano Music For Beginners)
by David DutkaniczWith these easy-to-play renditions, beginning pianists of all ages can enjoy one of America's most celebrated art forms. Sixteen popular blues melodies include traditional songs such as "St. James Infirmary" and "Careless Love" as well as several numbers by blues giants Jelly Roll Morton and W. C. Handy, including "St. Louis Blues," "Joe Turner Blues," and "The Hesitating Blues." Students, teachers, and other pianists will find these arrangements much simpler and more melodic than other versions. The selections include suggestions for fingering and are arranged in order of increasing difficulty. Introductory material by editor David Dutkanicz offers helpful explanations of the melodic and rhythmic theory behind the blues.
A First Book of Brahms: 26 Arrangements for the Beginning Pianist (Dover Classical Piano Music For Beginners)
by David DutkaniczSuitable for beginning pianists of all ages, this volume features 26 simplified versions of longer pieces by the great Johannes Brahms arranged in order of increasing difficulty. Selections include the famous "Lullaby" as well as the theme from "Academic Festival Overture" and "Hungarian Dance No. 5." Additional melodies include themes from the composer's quintet and concertos for piano, "Variations on a Theme by Haydn," and other pieces.
A First Book of Chopin: for the Beginning Pianist with Downloadable MP3s (Dover Music for Piano)
by BergeracBeginning pianists and their teachers will love this compilation of immortal music by Frédéric Chopin. Fun-to-play, pedagogically sound arrangements include the theme from the "Raindrop" Prelude, "Minute" Waltz, the charming Lullaby, and melodic highlights from the most familiar preludes, mazurkas, waltzes, impromptus, and etudes.Each piece is accompanied by informal notes that share insights into Chopin's life and the unique features of his music. From the lyrical Fantaisie-impromptu and "Butterfly" Etude to the brilliant strains of the "Military" Polonaise and "Heroic" Polonaise, these arrangements of 23 of the composer's best-loved pieces will prove welcome additions to any beginning pianist's repertoire. Plus, bonus MP3 downloads are included for each song to make practicing even easier!
A First Book of Christmas Songs: 20 Favorite Songs in Easy Piano Arrangements
by BergeracBeginning pianists will love playing the music of Christmas with this new volume of holiday songs in musically attractive, pedagogically sound, and fun-to-play arrangements. These expert settings explore a full and satisfying piano sound within the natural capabilities of the novice performer. Twenty holiday favorites include Silent Night; O, Come All Ye Faithful; O Little Town of Bethlehem; Jingle Bells; Deck the Halls; O Christmas Tree; and more.Delightful illustrations add a festive note to this modestly priced collection, which will be welcomed by beginning pianists of all ages.
A First Book of Classical Music: 29 Themes by Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Other Great Composers in Easy Piano Arrangements
by BergeracThese fun-to-play, pedagogically sound piano arrangements include themes from Beethoven's Ode to Joy and Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze, along with such favorites as Schumann's Träumerei, Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 5, Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave, and Wagner's Song to the Evening Star. Additional composers include Chopin, Grieg, Handel, Vivaldi, Liszt, Haydn, and many others.Along with the 24 piano arrangements, this collection includes a free MP3 download for every piece, which will help beginning pianists develop an ear for the melodies. The MP3s may be downloaded individually or collectively.
A First Book of Great Composers: for the Beginning Pianist with Downloadable MP3s (Dover Music for Piano)
by BergeracThis new gathering of the world's greatest classical themes follows Bergerac's highly successful My First Book of Classical Music. Here are ever-popular themes from the symphonies, concertos, and operas of such masters as Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Mozart, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, and many others, presented in easy-to-play formats for children and beginners of any age. This collection includes a free MP3 download for every piece, which will help beginning pianists develop an ear for the melodies. The MP3s may be downloaded individually or collectively.
A First Book of Ragtime: 24 Arrangements for the Beginning Pianist (Dover Classical Piano Music For Beginners)
by David DutkaniczThis compilation of easy-to-play ragtime favorites features 24 rollicking melodies by "The Big Three" of ragtime--Scott Joplin, James Scott, and Joseph Lamb--plus pieces by Eubie Blake, Tom Turpin, and other artists. Popular tunes include "Maple Leaf Rag," "The Entertainer," and "Tiger Rag." Novices of all ages will delight in these simplified arrangements of carefully selected pieces. The editor provides suggested fingerings and comments on each piece that include background on the composers and tips for performance.
A First Book of Schumann: 32 Arrangements for the Beginning Pianist (Dover Music for Piano)
by David DutkaniczThis beginner's piano book spotlights the music of one of the Romantic movement's most influential composers, Robert Schumann. Its easy-to-play renditions of Schumann's beloved works progressively increase in difficulty and are accessible to novices of all ages. Contents include selections from Forest Scenes, Scenes from Childhood, Album for the Young, and Carnaval, a collection of short pieces representing revelers at a masked ball. Selections include "Traumerei," "Happy Farmer," "Papillons," and other melodies for solo piano.
A First Book of Tchaikovsky: for the Beginning Pianist with Downloadable MP3s (Dover Music for Piano)
by David DutkaniczThis collection of effortless arrangements allows beginning pianists to experience the pleasure of playing favorite Tchaikovsky compositions. Offering an inspiring mix of tempos and moods, the twenty-one simplified compositions include themes from The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and other popular works. My First Book of Tchaikovsky is a wonderful introduction to the nineteenth-century master -- and a unique way for novices to expand their repertoires! Additional Tchaikovsky treasures include 1812 Overture, Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6, March Slav, and Hurdy-Gurdy.
A Freewheelin' Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the Sixties
by Suze RotoloRotolo, who was romantically involved with Bob Dylan from 1961 to 1964 (she's the girl on the cover of his debut album), has written this memoir of the rise of the folk music movement in Greenwich Village from a firsthand perspective. Exhibiting a writing style that is succinct yet impassioned, she vividly recreates that period in history while recounting her own growing political awareness, and explains how folk music eventually led her to a life of activism (she became involved in the Civil Rights Movement). Fans of Bob Dylan and folk music in general should enjoy this volume. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
A French Song Companion
by Graham Johnson Richard StokesThis is the most comprehensive book of French mélodie (French art-song) in any language. Graham Johnson, a noted authority on song, provides repertoire guides to the work of some 150 composers who have written French vocal music. There are major articles on such figures as Fauré, Duparc, Debussy, Ravel, and Poulenc; substantial articles on Bizet, Chabrier, Gounod, Chausson, Hahn, and Satie; and reassessments of such composers as Massenet, Koechlin, and Leguerney. The biographical articles are supplemented by the song translations of Richard Stokes, some 700 in all, and a veritable treasury of great French poetry from the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries. These are indispensable to music lovers, concert-goers, and professional singers and their accompanists. Graham Johnson is one of the most distinguished vocal accompanists of our time. Recital appearances with many great singers--from Schwarzkopf and De los Angeles to Margaret Price and Christine Schäfer, from Peter Pears to Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, Peter Schreier, and Ian Bostridge, from François Le Roux to Thomas Hampson and Matthias Goerne--have been supplemented by a prodigious recording career: the complete Schubert Lieder on 37 CDs for Hyperion, with a similar exhaustive Schumann project already underway; an ongoing edition of French song recordings, also for Hyperion; numerous recordings of English song composers (recently Britten and John Ireland); duet recitals with Felicity Lott and Ann Murray (on EMI); and discs of songs by such composers as Dvorák, Janácek, Martinu, and Musorgsky. Richard Stokes, the translator of the songs, teaches languages at Westminster School, London, coaches singers in the interpretation of Lieder, and gives frequent lectures on song composers. He is the co-author of books on German and Spanish song (The Fischer-Dieskau Book of Lieder and The Spanish Song Companion) and has just published J. S. Bach--The Complete Church and Secular Cantatas (Long Barn Books). Below each line of French is a line of English translation. In addition, DAISY markup sets each composer at level 1 and each song at level 2, facilitating navigation through the book. The web site Hyperion-Records.co.uk contains pdf files of the many booklets of songs and commentary produced by Graham Johnson and Richard Stokes, free for downloading, including the complete Schubert songs and many of the song composers listed above.