While most music lovers are familiar with the famous scores of Tchaikovsky; Delibes; and Stravinsky; many other lesser-known composers also wrote for the ballet. Several of these composers wrote almost exclusively for the ballet--and all enriched the world of dance. Minor Ballet Composers presents biographical sketches of 66 underappreciated ballet composers of the 19th and 20th centuries from around the world; along with selected stories from the ballets they helped create. While the composersrsquo;contributions to ballet music are emphasized; all aspects of their lives and works are touched upon. Plot summaries and excerpts from reviews of many of the ballets are also provided. Other topics of interest yoursquo;ll find covered in Minor Ballet Composers include:Les Six: Darius Milhaud; Louis Durey; Georges Auric; Arthur Honegger; Francis Poulenc; and Germaine Tailleferre--and their relationship with Erik Satie and Jean Cocteauhow politics; revolutions; and wars have affected composers and their workswho studied with whom; who collaborated with whomschools; movements; and musical renaissancethe importance of opera to ballet musicthe relationship between film scores and ballet musicwhich books; plays; stories; and folk tales certain ballets are based uponwhere many of these ballets premieredMinor Ballet Composers emphasizes the importance of second-tier composers and their influence on the rich tradition of music written for the dance (though in some cases the music was appropriated for the ballet from other original designs). The gathering of these composers in a single volume in appreciation of their ballet music; with a glossary of choreographers and an index of ballet titles; makes this book a useful volume for ballet aficionados; music librarians; musicians; and others interested in dance and dance music.
#4606744 in eBooks 2012-11-12 2012-11-12File Name: B00AC2IB02
Review
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Great Timing; Great DeliveryBy NyxxI love this book. With it; I now have three out of the four available. Amazing art for study and inspirational viewing; including the lore; and to top it off it comes in a hardback cover! *swoon*Its got a wonderful variety of creatures; which you can expand nicely by picking up the other books as well; though nothing too obscure. I would recommend this book and its siblings to anyone interested in mythological creatures; especially those interested in drawing them.Thanks!3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The Rarest Beasts of MythologyBy GingerbreadforestThis book includes the Alphyn; Buraq; Chimera; Dragon Turtle; Enfield; Freybug; Griffin; Hippogriff; Imp; Jorogumo; Kraken; Leviathan; Manticore; Naga; Owlurus; Pegasus; Questing Beast; Roc; Shedu; Tarasque; Unicorn; Vampire; Waterhorse; Xenobeast; Yeti and Zburator. Wow!This book is all about inspiration and gorgeous illustration. As stated in the title; this is "An Artists Guide to Creating Mythical Creatures"; and the author gives the reader an idea about how he goes about creating his images of some of the rarest of mythological creatures. This book is more about concept and design; and is not a step-by-step instruction manual of how to draw. For each creature depicted in the book the author begins by giving a brief history and description. The next phase is the rough skeletal sketch; followed by pencil details and finally painting and finishing. For every creature the artist does several beautiful sketches which include a profile design and often an aerial view.It is hard to describe just how beautiful the drawings in this book are. The authors interpretations for some of these beasts are entirely original. You may have heard of some of these creatures; may have seen them on heraldry; but the demonstration drawings of the Alphyn (dragon; wolf; lion) and Enfield (raptor; fox) will bring theses hybrids to life in your imagination. Some other favorites are the fantastic amphibious Waterhorse; the winged lion Shedu and the legendary Questing Beast. Any lover of fantasy art should be very happy to include this book in their collection. (There is also a fold out poster with all the creatures included in the back of the book.)5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Deightful and Inspiring!By Laurie E. ThompsonI just love this book! I look for inspiration when Im trying to draw new creatures from folklore. Its great to see how other people have tackled the problem of making a myth look real based on the real life creatures found in nature. I also found it very useful that examples of projects in various stages of completion were shown. The hardest thing is starting with a blank piece of paper and not having ANY idea of how to start. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to create believable mythological beasts.