The Life of Webern

by Kathryn Bailey

Overview

On September 15, 1945 the composer Anton Webern was shot in confusing circumstances in a small mountain village near Salzburg. The world lost a composer of extreme originality whose mature music was still almost unknown. When Webern's works did come to light, he immediately became one of the most influential figures in music of the second half of this century. This book focuses on several aspects of Webern's life that have been treated only briefly in earlier accounts: his youthful instability, his often embarrassing dependence on Schoenberg, his naive nationalism and his absolute belief in the value of the brief moments of music he produced.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521575669
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/28/1998
Series:	Musical Lives
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	238
Product dimensions:	5.43(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.63(d)

Table of Contents

Prologue; 1. 1883–1902 Childhood and school years; 2. 1902–8 Shaping forces; 3. 1908–14 Instability makes itself known; 4. 1914–21 Vacillations continue; 5. 1922–8 Changes of direction; 6. 1928–33 The path to new music; 7. 1933–8 Before the Anschluß; 8. 1938–45 After the Anschluß; Epilogue.

Editorial Reviews

' … a very welcome contribution to the Webern literature.' Judy Brown, Music and Letters

' … concise and clear-headed …'. David Schiff, The Times Literary Supplement

' … a refreshing account which demystifies Webern without losing sight of the peculiar qualities of his music …'. Julian Johnson, Musical Times

From the Publisher