Virgil Thomson, a reader : selected writings, 1924-1984 / edited by Richard Kostelanetz.

Author/creator Thomson, Virgil
Other author Kostelanetz, Richard editor.
Format Book
Publication InfoNew York ; London : Routledge, 2002.
Descriptionxii, 290 pages ; 23 cm
Subjects

Contents (Auto)biography -- I. The life of music -- Life among the natives -- How composers eat -- Why composers write how -- Age without honor -- Masterpieces -- Conducting modern music -- The intellectual audience -- Conservative institution -- English at the Met -- Bigger than baseball -- The burning question -- On writing operas and staging them -- Music does not flow -- The New Grove ... -- II. Precursors -- Mozart's leftism -- The official Stravinsky -- Acquaintance with Wagner -- Fairy tale about music -- French music here [Erik Satie] -- [Edward] MacDowell's music -- [Carl] Ruggles -- Reactionary critic -- III. Contemporaries: performers -- Great music [Artur Rubinstein] -- Pipe-organ obsession [Leopold Stokowski] -- Master of distortion and exaggeration [Vladimir Horowitz] -- Silk-underwear music [Jascha Heifitz] -- The Toscanini case -- Violence and charm [Rudolf Firkusny] -- The Koussevitzky case -- In spite of conducting [Dimitri Mitropoulos] -- Jazz -- Swing music -- Sacred swing [gospel music] -- "La Môme" Piaf -- IV. Contemporaries: Composers -- George Gershwin -- [Charlie] Chaplin scores -- Star dust and spun steel [Anton Webern] -- Most melodious tears [Kurt Weill] -- Olivier Messiaen -- Music now -- Edgard Varèse, 1883-1965 -- Henry Cowell: by weight and by volume -- Aaron Copeland -- Notes on composers -- V. Contemporaries: publishers, artists, writers, and a museum director -- The paper [New York Herald Tribune] -- A war's end [modern music] -- Eugene Berman, 1899-1972 -- Leonid Berman, 1896-1976 -- Gertrude Stein -- On, Donald Sutherland -- Edwin Denby -- The friends and enemies of modern music [Everett "Chick" Austin] -- VI. Successors -- Expressive percussion [John Cage] -- Gian-Carlo Menotti -- The genius type [Pierre Boulez] -- A note regarding Lou Harrison -- Notes on composers -- VII. Autobiography -- Personal statement -- The music reviewer and his assignment -- Europe in America -- All roads lead to Paris -- Possibilities: [Virgil Thomson] questioned by 8 composers -- VIII. His own works -- On portraits and operas -- Four saints in three acts -- Sea piece with birds -- The Seine at night -- The feast of love.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (page 281) and index.
ISBN0415937957

Availability

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Music Music Stacks ML410.T452 A15 2002 ✔ Available Place Hold