A Virgil Thomson Reader - signiertes Exemplar

Composer and critic Virgil Thomson (1896-1989) is widely regarded as the most influential figure in American music during the 20th century. Here in a single volume is the best of Thomson's ground-breaking criticism -- writing that encompasses more than 50 years in music. Entertaining, insightful, full of common sense and uncommon prose, this authoritative selection of Thomson's writings is necessary reading for anyone interested in music or cultural history. Contents: Virgil Thomson, a Franco-Missourian American / John Rockwell. -- Part 1: Missouri landscape with figures. -- Part 2: Early articles. Jazz; Aaron Copland; George Gershwin; Swing music; Swing again. -- Part 3: Paris. Antheil, Joyce, and Pound; Louise Langlois, Mary Butts, and Gertrude Stein; Paris, April 1940; A portrait of Gertrude Stein. -- Part 4: From "The state of music." A 1961 preface; Our island home, or What it feels like to be a musician; The neighbors, or Chiefly about painters and painting; Survivals of an earlier civilization, or Shades of poets dead and gone; Life among the natives, or Musical habits and customs; How composers eat, or Who does what to whom and who gets paid; Why composers write how, or The economic determinism of musical style; How to write a piece, or Functional design in music; A 1961 postlude. -- Part 5: On the "New York Herald Tribune." The paper; Articles and reviews, 1940-1945; Articles and reviews, 1946-1954. -- Part 6: Later articles. Music for "Much ado"; Nadia Boulanger at 75; Wanda Landowska; How dead is Arnold Schönberg?; On being discovered; The tradition of sensibility; "Craft-Igor" and the whole Stravinsky; The genius type; Berlioz, Boulez, and Piaf; William Flanagan; Opera librettos; Aaron Copland; The Ives case; Ruggles; Cage and the collage of noises; Varèse, Xenakis, Carter; Making black music; Stravinsky's operas; The state of music criticism. -- Part 7: Two conversations. John Rockwell: a conversation; Diana Trilling: an interview.