The attempt to play music with the styles and instruments of its era--commonly referred to as the early music movement--has become immensely popular in recent years. For instance; Billboards "Top Classical Albums" of 1993 and 1994 featured Anonymous 4; who sing medieval music; and the best-selling Beethoven recording of 1995 was a period-instruments symphony cycle led by John Eliot Gardiner; who is Deutsche Grammophons top-selling living conductor. But the movement has generated as much controversy as it has best-selling records; not only about the merits of its results; but also about the validity of its approach. To what degree can we recreate long-lost performing styles? How important are historical period instruments for the performance of a piece? Why should musicians bother with historical information? Are they sacrificing art to scholarship? Now; in Inside Early Music; Bernard D. Sherman has invited many of the leading practitioners to speak out about their passion for early music--why they are attracted to this movement and how it shapes their work. Readers listen in on conversations with conductors Gardiner; William Christie; and Roger Norrington; Peter Phillips of the Tallis Scholars; vocalists Susan Hellauer of Anonymous 4; forte pianist Robert Levin; cellist Anner Bylsma; and many other leading artists. The book is divided into musical eras--Medieval; Renaissance; Baroque; and Classic and Romantic--with each interview focusing on particular composers or styles; touching on heated topics such as the debate over what is "authentic;" the value of playing on period instruments; and how to interpret the composers intentions. Whether debating how to perform Monteverdis madrigals or comparing Andrew Lawrence-Kings Renaissance harp playing to jazz; the performers convey not only a devotion to the spirit of period performance; but the joy of discovery as they struggle to bring the music most truthfully to life. Spurred on by Shermans probing questions and immense knowledge of the subject; these conversations movingly document the aspirations; growing pains; and emerging maturity of the most exciting movement in contemporary classical performance; allowing each artists personality and love for his or her craft to shine through.From medieval plainchant to Brahms orchestral works; Inside Early Music takes readers-whether enthusiasts or detractors-behind the scenes to provide a masterful portrait of early musics controversies; challenges; and rewards.
#1198072 in eBooks 1997-06-26 1997-06-26File Name: B000VDK8E4
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Barry SA very useful book for those in the studio.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. This is much more than just a book about microphones.By Gordon PrierI have read quite a few books about microphones but this book goes so much deeper and reveals the fundamentals of the basic frequency response of the different types of microphone and how the manufacturers deal with these responses to produce a nice sounding and useful microphone. Also covered is how the directional properties are achieved and most of the variations used for doing this. There is a section on the interfaces and the effects these can have on a microphones performance.The updated version of this book covers the new technologies like the digital microphones and the methods of remote control for these.It is a valuable addition to my growing library and I place it among my prized reference books.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A technical book; to get the real thing on ...By Marc Pintilde;a FernandezA technical book; to get the real thing on how the microphones are made; how they work; and how get the most of them. Its a deep phisical and technical aproach of the microphones; in order you can decide; depending what and where you gonna record; wich type of microphone; wich polar pattern; and wich miking and placing technique you will use; once you had achieved all acknowlegment related on this manual.