Alban Berg, Wozzeck / Douglas Jarman.
| Author/creator | Jarman, Douglas |
| Format | Book |
| Publication Info | Cambridge [Cambridgeshire] ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1989. |
| Description | ix, 181 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm. |
| Subjects |
| Portion of title | Wozzeck |
| Series | Cambridge opera handbooks Cambridge opera handbooks. ^A127792 |
| Contents | The play and the libretto -- Musical background and composition -- Synopsis -- The formal design -- Act III scene 4: an analysis -- A suggested interpretation -- Stage history: the premiere and subsequent performances -- Documents. Georg Büchner (1901) / Karl Emil Franzos ; Wozzeck and Woyzeck (1914) / Hugo Beiber ; Alban Berg and Anton von Webern (1922) / Erwin Stein ; Alban Berg's 'Wozzeck' (1923) / Fritz Heinrich Klein ; Alban Berg's 'Wozzeck': a contribution to the problem of opera (1923) / Ernst Viebig ; Creating atonal opera (1924) / Emil Petschnig ; The musical forms in my opera 'Wozzeck' (1924) / Alban Berg ; A word about 'Wozzeck' (1927) / Alban Berg ; A lecture on 'Wozzeck' (1929) / Alban Berg. |
| Abstract | Alban Berg's Wozzeck is one of the most significant operas of the twentieth century. The author's study provides a clear and accessible introduction to this work, placing it in the context of the radical developments in musical language during the early decades of the century and of the development of Berg's own musical style. The book covers all aspects of the work. Early chapters are devoted to the history and discovery of the Buchner play Woyzeck on which Berg based the libretto and to the background and composition of the opera. A detailed synopsis takes the reader through the events on stage in relation to the structured musical effects. Particular attention is given in the subsequent chapter to the unique dramatic and musical design of the opera. In offering a possible interpretation of the work the author considers this closely organized structure in relation to the expressionistic language of the music. A final chapter charts the performances of the opera, in particular early productions, which are illustrated with many hitherto unpublished photographs from Berg's own lifetime. An important feature of the book is the inclusion of many important and otherwise unobtainable contemporary documents concerned with the play and the opera, including Karl Emil Franzos's description of the reconstruction of the fragmented Buchner play and three commentaries by Berg himself on the opera. This comprehensive guide will be invaluable to the student and opera-goer wishing to unravel the musical and dramatic complexities of this important work. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 175-176), discography (page 177), and index. |
| Other title | Wozzeck. |
| LCCN | 88015965 |
| ISBN | 0521241510 |
| ISBN | 0521284813 (pbk.) |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Music Stacks | ML410.B47 J3 1989 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |