The Music of Elliott Carter / Edition 2

by David Schiff

Overview

Arguably the most important American composer of the century, Elliott Carter often has been more highly regarded in Europe than in his native land. Interest in his work has grown rapidly in recent years, however, and the celebration of his ninetieth birthday in December, 1998, accompanied by numerous performances and new recordings, undoubtedly will increase the attention of his fellow citizens to this remarkable figure.Authoritative and gracefully written, The Music of Elliott Carter engages composers, performers, and critics, and speaks to concert-goers, whether attuned to or alarmed by the formidable difficulty of Carter's music. David Schiff views the music from the perspective of the composer's development and relates his compositional techniques to those nonmusical arts—contemporary American poetry in particular—with which Carter has been deeply involved. The volume benefits from Schiff's extensive discussions of Carter's works with their most noted performers, including Heinz Holliger, Oliver Knussen, and Ursula Oppens, and from the generous cooperation of the composer himself.This new edition, a thoroughly reorganized, revised, and updated version of the book published in 1983, accounts for the many new works written by Carter since 1980 and accommodates the burgeoning critical literature on his music. Its features include many musical examples and a selected discography. In addition to the new foreword, the composer has provided his listing of three-to-six note chords and a note on "Voyage."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801436123
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	11/03/1998
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	356
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.25(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

David Schiff, who often writes on contemporary music for The New York Times, is also the author of Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue.

Editorial Reviews

Schiff has written this new edition with the kind of renewed freshness and sense of development that Carter's work continues to reflect.... A wholly different book from the first edition and a valuable new contribution to the critical literature.

Choice

Unlike many other composers, Carter has always known exactly how to bring his pieces to an end. David Schiff, in the new edition of his The Music of Elliott Carter, finds the right words for the end of the First String Quartet: 'With the most stunning gesture of all,' he says, 'the first violin completes the motion of the work in solitude, slowing the music to stillness on a celestial high E.'

The New York Review of Books - John Russell

"This new edition effectively replaces the earlier one and is particularly welcome for its inclusion of a wealth of compositions and bibliographic citations from 1981 to 1998. . . . A chronological list of works, an extensive bibliography, and a discography add immeasurably to this volume. Highly recommended for sophisticated music collections."—Library Journal

"Unlike many other composers, Carter has always known exactly how to bring his pieces to an end. David Schiff, in the new edition of his The Music of Elliott Carter, finds the right words for the end of the First String Quartet: 'With the most stunning gesture of all,' he says, 'the first violin completes the motion of the work in solitude, slowing the music to stillness on a celestial high E.'"—John Russell, The New York Review of Books

"Schiff has written this new edition with the kind of renewed freshness and sense of development that Carter's work continues to reflect. . . A wholly different book from the first edition and a valuable new contribution to the critical literature."—Choice. July/August, 1999.

From the Publisher