Mr Modernsky

Mr Modernsky
Author: Meredith Oakes
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 47
Release: 2012-06-18
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1849433755

Mr Modernsky tells a story about two heavyweights of twentieth-century classical music: Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg. It traces the gradual change there has been in the way these two great rivals are perceived, looks in their music for the reasons and reflects on the nature of modernity in art and the sometimes pernicious effects of ideology. Meredith Oakes explores the tension between futuristic and historical elements in the work of these parallel artists and asks: is modernity merely about technical innovation? Must progress always mean exclusion of the past?

Nicolas Slonimsky: Music of the modern era

Nicolas Slonimsky: Music of the modern era
Author: Nicolas Slonimsky
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 367
Release: 2004
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0415968674

Nicolas Slonimsky (1894-1995) was an influential and celebrated writer on music. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1894, in his 101 years he taught and coached music; conducted the premieres of several 20th century masterpieces; composed works for piano and voice; and oversaw the 5th-8th editions of the classic "Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians." Beginning in 1926, Slonimsky resided in the United States. From his arrival, he wrote provocative articles on contemporary music and musicians, many of whom were his personal friends. Working as a freelance author, he built a large file of reviews, articles, and even manuscripts for books that were never published. This is the third volume of a 4 volume collection on the best of this material.