Beethoven Symphony no. 9 / Nicholas Cook.
| Author/creator | Cook, Nicholas, 1950- |
| Format | Book |
| Publication Info | Cambridge [England] ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1993. |
| Description | x, 133 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm. |
| Subjects |
| Series | Cambridge music handbooks Cambridge music handbooks. ^A275900 |
| Contents | Sketches and myths. The sketches ; The first performance -- Early impressions. Vienna, 1824 ; London, 1825-52 -- Performance and tradition. The rise of the conductor-interpreter ; The letter and the spirit -- The romantic Ninth. Interpretation and appreciation ; Wagner's Ninth -- The twentieth-century Ninth. The purely musical Ninth ; Domesticating the Ninth -- Conclusion. Beyond interpretation? -- Appendices. Schiller's 'An die freude' and the Ninth symphony -- The text of the Ninth symphony / Jonathan Del Mar. |
| Abstract | Beethoven's ninth symphony is acknowledged as one of the supreme masterpieces of the Western tradition. More than any other musical work it has become an international symbol of unity and affirmation. Yet early critics rejected it as cryptic and eccentric, the product of a deaf and ageing composer. The author's guide charts the dramatic transformation in the reception of this work. The story begins in Vienna, with the responses of listeners at the first performance, and ends in contemporary China and Japan, where the symphony has acquired diametrically opposed interpretations. The account embraces many of the major figures of nineteenth- and twentieth-century music, among them Wagner and Schenker. Including an account of the sketches, an examination of the performance tradition, and a suggested new interpretation, this book opens up new dimensions in our understanding of Beethoven's last symphony. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 129-130) and index. |
| LCCN | 92020451 |
| ISBN | 0521390397 |
| ISBN | 0521399246 (pbk.) |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Music Stacks | ML410.B42 C66 1993 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |