In "Sketch of a New Esthetic of Music," Ferruccio Busoni presents a thought-provoking exploration of the nature and purpose of music in the early 20th century. Employing a distinctive blend of philosophical inquiry and critical analysis, Busoni articulates a vision for an evolving musical aesthetic, one that transcends traditional boundaries and embraces modernity. His innovative approach reflects the zeitgeist of the period, as he grapples with the implications of technological advancemen...

Edited by Theodore Baker. Includes: elements of notation, definitions and biographical list of famous musicians.

Kandinsky sees the spiritual life of humanity as a pyramid. The artist must lead the layman to the top of this pyramid through the soulful exercise of art. Kandinsky differentiates between the superficial pleasure art inspires and the inner resonance created when art is considered attentively and allowed to touch the soul. The artist is allowed absolute freedom in order to express their soul's art, but they must not abuse this freedom if they are not expressing a personal inner resonance. ...

The French film director Robert Bresson was one of the great artists of the twentieth century and among the most radical, original, and radiant stylists of any time. He worked with nonprofessional actors—models, as he called them—and deployed a starkly limited but hypnotic array of sounds and images to produce such classic works as A Man Escaped, Pickpocket, Diary of a Country Priest, and Lancelot of the Lake. From the beginning to the end of his career,...

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) is one of the most famous and influential classical musicians of all time. He was particularly instrumental in the transition from the Classic to the Romantic. He was born in Germany but lived from his early twenties in Vienna. There he studied under Haydn and became recognized for his prodigious talents. Though Beethoven declined into deafness from his twenties, he continued to compose, perform and conduct, even after he had lost all hearing.

An inspiring discourse on the power of music from one of the twentieth century's most important figures, André GideAndré Gide, one of the great intellectuals of the twentieth century and a devoted pianist, invites readers to reevaluate Frédéric Chopin as a composer "betrayed . . . deeply, intimately, totally violated" by a music community that had fundamentally misinterpreted his work. As a profound admirer of Chopin's "promenade of discoveries," Gide intersperses ...

Originally published in 1920, this early works is an informative look at the importance of music in education with one of the most important factors being the training and development of the sense of Rhythm. It will appeal greatly to any one interested in the study or teaching of music. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality,...

In these enlightening essays, the Austrian composer and music theorist presents his vision of how music speaks to us and what it is capable of saying.This book is full of essays which Arnold Schoenberg wrote on style and idea. He talks about the relationship to the text, new and outmoded music, composition in twelve tones, entertaining through composing, the relationship of heart and mind in music, evaluation of music, and other essays.

Josef Hofmann (1876–1957) was a master of piano technique and an artist who had few equals at the keyboard. A student of Anton Rubinstein and a leading exponent of the works of Chopin, Liszt, and Schumann, he always balanced his virtuoso playing with a firm adherence to the piece as written. It is this balanced approach to piano playing that he advocates in this highly regarded volume on piano technique.The first section of the book contains a discussion of the rules and tricks of c...

First published in 1927, J. W. N. Sullivan's “Beethoven - His Spiritual Development” explores the subject of Beethoven's spirituality, which the author believes he expressed through his greatest musical compositions. Contents include: “Art and Reality”, “Music as Isolated”, “Music as Expression”, “Beethoven’s Characteristics”, “The Morality of Power”, “The Mind of Beethoven”, “The Hero”, “The End of a Period”, “Love and Money”, “The Hammerclavier Sonata”, “God the Companion”, etc. A fascin...

Originally published in 1924, this book is the result of many years' quiet thought and observation in connection with the authors own teaching. It focuses mainly on the essential skills of violin playing, rather than on the peculiarities that all players adopt to suit their own requirements. The book contains broad common-sense views, preferring not to concentrate on any particular "school" or "method". Written with some humour and in a very colloquial style it will prove to be a refreshin...

Passionate, witty, and brilliant, Opera as Drama has been lauded as one of the most controversial, thought-provoking, and entertaining works of operatic criticism ever written. First published in 1956 and revised in 1988, Opera as Drama continues to be indispensable reading for all students and lovers of opera.