DOC Professor Risley and the Imperial Japanese Troupe: How an American Acrobat Introduced Circus to Japan--and Japan to the West by Frederik L. Schodt in Arts-Photography

Review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Program notes for Chamber worksBy Mitch BaywatchAs another reviewer mentions; these are like the liner notes from a CD. Like him; I listen to a lot of works for which I dont own a disk (or I have budget works that lack notes). Youd think you could find these sorts of things online; but Ive been disappointed in what Ive found. The notes are fairly brief; adjectival and not technical. "The two violins state the suave and elegant theme; while the viola and cello share a complementary countermelody." That sort of thing. Typically a paragraph per movement; and not deep enough for those who seriously study music.The choice of works wont please everyone. It was written in 85; and fashions change. Theres no Glass; Schnittke or Ligeti; but you do get Lutoslawski and Crumb. The lesser known composers seem to skew heavily American (Kirchner; Fine; Druckman). Personally; I dont care if it isnt exhaustive or reflective of any consensus. I enjoy working my way through all the works in it (thank you; Spotify). Good value.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A great resource to carry in a Kindle formatBy Michael G BarndtYears ago; I purchased this book. It has been an invaluable way to review chamber works to guide my listening. Berger is able to reveal what to listen for movement by movement without relying on the details of music theory. The continuity from one work to another is also useful. Many comparable books are anthologies of previews prepared over long periods of time and lack consistency.There are works missing; of course; but I find the choices optimal - especially when comparing a series of key compositions by one of the great composers.Now the book is available on Kindle. This is a great resource to carry along on my phone; especially when I dont know in advance what specific works will be performed. This is especially true for informal campus recitals.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. like program notes in a cd or record.By Steve RogersBasically program notes for a number of chamber works - I purchased it as most of my music is streamed and I dont have CD or record covers to hand. It tells you a bit about the background to works and points out themes and developments - it is OK and can give you a leg up in understanding the structure of the music you are listening to. I cant say it goes very deep or teaches you how to listen.