A history of the symphony : the grand genre / Jeffrey Langford.
| Author/creator | Langford, Jeffrey Alan author. |
| Format | Book |
| Publication | New York, NY : Routledge, 2020. |
| Copyright Date | ©2020 |
| Description | viii, 261 pages : illustrations, music ; 27 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | Part I: The classical symphony. Origins of the genre: from Pergolesi to early Haydn. Pergolesi and the Italian sinfonia ; Stamitz and the Mannheim School ; C.P.E. Bach and the Empfindsamer Stil ; Early Haydn -- Maturation of the genre: Haydn and Mozart. Haydn: from servant to entrepreneur ; The genius of Mozart -- From classicism to romanticism. Beethoven and the destruction of the classical style ; Schubert and the first signs of romanticism -- Part II. The romantic symphony. The romantic generation: tradition vs. the avant-garde. Berlioz and the romantic revolution ; Mendelssohn's classical romanticism ; Tradition and innovation in the symphonies of Schumann ; The Janus face of Brahms ; Liszt and the symphonic avant-garde -- Musical nationalism: Eastern Europe and Russia. The politics of nationalism in the symphonies of Smetana and Dvořák ; The "Mighty Five" and Tchaikovsky -- The late romantic symphony : Mahler and Strauss. Mahler as "Song-symphonist" ; Strauss and the tone poem -- Part III. The symphony in the modern era. The early 20th century. Debussy and the transition to the modern era ; The unique path of Sibelius -- Masters of the 20th century : from Ives to Shostakovich. Ives as symphonic iconoclast ; Prokofiev and the neoclassical style ; The changing symphonic face of Stravinsky ; Hindemith and the Nazis ; The enigma of Shostakovich -- Contemporary views of the symphony. 20th-century reinterpretations of the symphony: Messiaen, Penderecki, and Lutosławski ; Postmodern symphonies and gender issues. |
| Abstract | This book identifies the underlying cultural factors that have shaped the symphony over the past 300 years, presenting a unified view of the entire history of the genre. The text goes beyond discussions of individual composers and the stylistic evolution of the genre to address what constitutes a symphony within each historical period, describing how such works fit into the lives of composers and audiences of the time, recognizing that they do not exist in a vacuum but rather as the products of numerous external forces spurring their creation. The text proceeds chronologically in three parts, drawing connections between musical examples across regions and eras: the classical symphony, the romantic symphony and the symphony in the modern era. Within this broad chronology--from the earliest Italian symphonies of the 18th century to the most experimental works of the 20th century--discussion of the development of the genre often breaks down along national lines that outline divergent but parallel paths of stylistic growth. In consideration of what is and is not a symphony, musical developments in other genres are presented as they relate to the symphony, genres such as the serenade, the tone poem, and the concert overture. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| LCCN | 2019025759 |
| ISBN | 9780815357049 hardcover |
| ISBN | 0815357044 hardcover |
| ISBN | 9780815357056 paperback |
| ISBN | 0815357052 paperback |
| ISBN | electronic book |
| ISBN | electronic book |
| ISBN | electronic book |
| ISBN | electronic book |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Item has been checked out | ML1255 .L3 2020 | Due 05/29/2026 | Want This? |