| Abstract |
Beethoven's nine symphonies are, of course, a staple diet for most concert seasons, and the author's study of them is an important addition to this series of music guides. No works in the repertory have been more frequently analysed and described, but the author, himself a composer of symphonies, approaches them with fresh enthusiasm and brings to them a stimulating and original mind. The author was on the music staff of the BBC from 1951 to 1980. His own compositions include eight symphonies and eleven string quartets, and his books include the standard English work on Nielsen, The Essence of Bruckner and The Proms and Natural Justice. This volume is one of a series of music guides which are planned to give the layman an overall view of the subject, showing how particular works came to be written, their significance in the general history of the genre, and how the form was developed by the composer. There are detailed examinations of important works or movements, with musical examples. |
