Pfitzner's Palestrina : the 'musical legend' and its background / Owen Toller ; with a preface by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
| Author/creator |
Toller, Owen |
| Format | Book and Print |
| Publication Info | Dunstable, England : Toccata Press, 1997. |
| Description | 310 pages : illustrations, facsimiles, map, music, portraits ; 23 cm. |
| Subject(s) |
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| Series | Other operas ; no. 1 Other operas ; no. 1. ^A412073 |
| Contents | Preface / Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau -- Pfitzner's Palestrina: an introduction -- Dramatis personae -- Synopsis -- Pfitzner and the writing of Palestrina -- The dramatic themes of the opera. The individual versus the world ; The artist as creator ; The world of 'Reality' -- The music of the opera. Act one ; Act two ; Act three -- The historical background. Palestrina and the Mass ; The Florentine Camerata ; The Council of Trent ; Pfitzner's Council Scene -- Conclusions -- App. 1. Performance history -- App. 2. Pfitzner's compositions. |
| Abstract | Hans Pfitzner's 'musical legend' Palestrina is considered in the German-speaking countries to be one of the supreme masterpieces of music, and yet it is all but unknown elsewhere. The opera, first performed in 1917, tells the story of the composer Palestrina, his struggle to compose following the death of his wife and in the face of anti-musical decrees from the Church, and his eventual composition of the Missa Papae Marcelli, which, it is said, was dictated to him by angles and reconciled the Church to contrapuntal music. The story, set against the historical background of the Council of Trent, is an allegory of the individual artist in society, as well as a statement of Pfitzner's own beliefs about the musical climate of his time. The author discusses the music and the dramatic structure, and presents a comprehensive introduction to the background material in the many diverse fields encompassed by the opera. |
| Bibliography note | "Pfitzner's compositions": pages 290-293. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 294-298) and index. |
| LCCN | gb 97048124 |
| ISBN | 0907689248 (cased) : |
| ISBN | 0907689256 (pbk) |
Available Items
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions | |
| Music | Music Stacks | ML410.P32 T65 1997 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |