Synopses & Reviews
Harrison Birtwistle (1934- ) is one of the most eminent and acclaimed of contemporary British composers. This is the first book to provide a comprehensive view of his large and varied output, containing descriptions of every published work, and also a number of withdrawn and unpublished pieces. The book is structured around a number of broad themes--theater, song, time and texture--themes of significance to Birtwistle, but also to much other music. This approach avoids in-depth technical analysis, and Dr. Adlington focuses instead on the music's wider cultural significance.
Review
"...excellently written...Literate, well informed, and wel organized (by general themes - theaters, roles, texts, times, sections, layers, audiences - and by individual works), This is a book bor advanced students, fans of he avant-garde, and fellow practitioners...recommended to very serious music libraries..." Choice"Adlington's book is...an impressive debut. It is concentrated and well organized...Adlington is not afraid to go back to old-fashioned ideas of good practice, a willingness which I think does both him and his subject credit." Current Musicology
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements; Abbreviations and note on sources; Introduction; Part I. Theatres: 1. Violence; 2. Myth; 3. Music and drama; 4. Narratives and rituals; Part II. Roles: 5. Dramatic protagonists; 6. Ceremonial actors; 7. Negotiated identities; 8. Soloists; Part III. Texts: 9. Narration; 10. Fragment; 11. Phone; 12. Expression; Part IV. Times: 13. Time; 14. Pulse; 15. Journeys; Part V. Sections: 16. Verse; 17. Fragment; 18. Context; Part VI. Layers: 19. Melody; 20. Polyphony; 21. Strata; Part VII. Audiences; Notes; Chronological list of works; Bibliography; Index of works; General index.