The Conductor's Legacy

The Conductor's Legacy

Author: Paula A. Crider

Publisher: GIA Publications

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 9781579997526

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What would you ask the leading band directors of our time in a one-on-one conversation? Paula A. Crider, a seasoned and distinguished band director in her own right, shares the wealth of knowledge gleaned from her interviews of the extraordinary personalities who have changed the landscape of the wind band world in this remarkable book. With insight and clarity of thought, she asks the probing questions that prompt stories of talent, work, sacrifice, ingenuity, bravery, and determination. These pioneering and innovative conductors share their concept of band sound, views on score marking, advice to music majors and young band directors, thoughts on how to advance the wind band genre, the elements of their musical success, and much more about the art and craft of conducting a band. In calling forth these thoughts, the author inspires these leaders of the wind band profession to remind us all not only of where we have come from, but also provide a stirring handoff to us and to future generations.


Book Synopsis The Conductor's Legacy by : Paula A. Crider

Download or read book The Conductor's Legacy written by Paula A. Crider and published by GIA Publications. This book was released on 2010 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What would you ask the leading band directors of our time in a one-on-one conversation? Paula A. Crider, a seasoned and distinguished band director in her own right, shares the wealth of knowledge gleaned from her interviews of the extraordinary personalities who have changed the landscape of the wind band world in this remarkable book. With insight and clarity of thought, she asks the probing questions that prompt stories of talent, work, sacrifice, ingenuity, bravery, and determination. These pioneering and innovative conductors share their concept of band sound, views on score marking, advice to music majors and young band directors, thoughts on how to advance the wind band genre, the elements of their musical success, and much more about the art and craft of conducting a band. In calling forth these thoughts, the author inspires these leaders of the wind band profession to remind us all not only of where we have come from, but also provide a stirring handoff to us and to future generations.

On Becoming a Conductor

On Becoming a Conductor

Author: Frank L. Battisti

Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 188

ISBN-13: 9781574630862

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(Meredith Music Resource). This incredible book by one of the world's foremost authorities on conducting contains no conducting patterns, and no advice on how to conduct any piece. Instead, it focuses on the skills, knowledge and experiences needed to become and function as a conductor-teacher. "This text is a 'must have' for all serious musicians. It captures the legacy and wisdom of one of the most important conductors of our time. This is what can happen when a focused and inquisitive mind meets up with a uniquely creative imagination." Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Director of Wind Studies, College of Music University of North Texas (a href="http://youtu.be/JM6g4KBA4Fk" target="_blank")Click here for a YouTube video on On Becoming a Conductor(/a)


Book Synopsis On Becoming a Conductor by : Frank L. Battisti

Download or read book On Becoming a Conductor written by Frank L. Battisti and published by Hal Leonard Corporation. This book was released on 2007 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: (Meredith Music Resource). This incredible book by one of the world's foremost authorities on conducting contains no conducting patterns, and no advice on how to conduct any piece. Instead, it focuses on the skills, knowledge and experiences needed to become and function as a conductor-teacher. "This text is a 'must have' for all serious musicians. It captures the legacy and wisdom of one of the most important conductors of our time. This is what can happen when a focused and inquisitive mind meets up with a uniquely creative imagination." Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Director of Wind Studies, College of Music University of North Texas (a href="http://youtu.be/JM6g4KBA4Fk" target="_blank")Click here for a YouTube video on On Becoming a Conductor(/a)

The Conductor's Challenge

The Conductor's Challenge

Author: Frank Battisti

Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation

Published: 2016-06-01

Total Pages: 112

ISBN-13: 1574631403

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(Meredith Music Resource). This extension and expansion of Guide to Score Study , co-authored with Robert Garofalo, examines the various stages conductors traverse in arriving at an interpretation. Battisti emphasizes the importance of the conductor's imagination, personality and ongoing study weeks/months/years in developing an interpretation that is personal, well-informed and faithful to the composer's expressive intent. He examines the score analysis process including the role and function of a work's musical elements; the need to balance intellectual understanding and intuitive feelings about a piece and the challenges faced by conductors when transforming an interpretation into a performance. As examples, he traces the procedures he used in forming interpretations of "Lisbon" and "Horkstow Grange" from Grainger's Lincolnshire Posy , Copland's Down a Country Lane and "Sinfonia" from Stravinksy's Octet for Wind Instruments.


Book Synopsis The Conductor's Challenge by : Frank Battisti

Download or read book The Conductor's Challenge written by Frank Battisti and published by Hal Leonard Corporation. This book was released on 2016-06-01 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: (Meredith Music Resource). This extension and expansion of Guide to Score Study , co-authored with Robert Garofalo, examines the various stages conductors traverse in arriving at an interpretation. Battisti emphasizes the importance of the conductor's imagination, personality and ongoing study weeks/months/years in developing an interpretation that is personal, well-informed and faithful to the composer's expressive intent. He examines the score analysis process including the role and function of a work's musical elements; the need to balance intellectual understanding and intuitive feelings about a piece and the challenges faced by conductors when transforming an interpretation into a performance. As examples, he traces the procedures he used in forming interpretations of "Lisbon" and "Horkstow Grange" from Grainger's Lincolnshire Posy , Copland's Down a Country Lane and "Sinfonia" from Stravinksy's Octet for Wind Instruments.

A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor

A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor

Author: Emily Freeman Brown

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2015-08-20

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 0810884011

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Titles in Dictionaries for the Modern Musician: A Scarecrow Press Music Series offer both the novice and the advanced artist key information designed to convey the field of study and performance for a major instrument or instrument class, as well as the workings of musicians in areas from conducting to composing. Unlike other encyclopedic works, contributions to this series focus primarily on the knowledge required by the contemporary musical student or performer. Each dictionary covers topics from instrument parts to playing technique, major works to key figures. A must-have for any musician’s personal library! Filling a vital need in the rapidly changing and complex field of conducting, A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor is a concise one-volume reference tool that brings together for the first time information covering a broad array of topics essential for today’s conductor to know. Author and conductor Emily Freeman Brown offers easy-to-read definitions of key musical terms, translated foreign terms, examples of usage from orchestral music and practical vocabulary in multiple languages. A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor includes biographies of major conductors and other individual important to the world of modern conducting, emphasizing throughout their contributions to the progress of the conducting professional; critical information on major orchestras, significant ensembles, key institutions and organizations, with a focus on the ways in which they preserve and advance today’s musical life; and practical entries covering baton and rehearsal techniques, bowing terms, information about instruments, voice types and much more. In a series of appendixes, A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor also covers such topics as orchestral works that changed the art and practice of conducting, a short historiography of conducting, a comprehensive bibliography, a look at conducting recitative, and a list of pitches, interval names, rhythmic terms, orchestral and percussion instrument names, and finally translations of all of these categories of information into French, German, Italian, and Spanish. A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor will appeal to aspiring conductors and seasoned professionals. It is an invaluable resource.


Book Synopsis A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor by : Emily Freeman Brown

Download or read book A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor written by Emily Freeman Brown and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2015-08-20 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Titles in Dictionaries for the Modern Musician: A Scarecrow Press Music Series offer both the novice and the advanced artist key information designed to convey the field of study and performance for a major instrument or instrument class, as well as the workings of musicians in areas from conducting to composing. Unlike other encyclopedic works, contributions to this series focus primarily on the knowledge required by the contemporary musical student or performer. Each dictionary covers topics from instrument parts to playing technique, major works to key figures. A must-have for any musician’s personal library! Filling a vital need in the rapidly changing and complex field of conducting, A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor is a concise one-volume reference tool that brings together for the first time information covering a broad array of topics essential for today’s conductor to know. Author and conductor Emily Freeman Brown offers easy-to-read definitions of key musical terms, translated foreign terms, examples of usage from orchestral music and practical vocabulary in multiple languages. A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor includes biographies of major conductors and other individual important to the world of modern conducting, emphasizing throughout their contributions to the progress of the conducting professional; critical information on major orchestras, significant ensembles, key institutions and organizations, with a focus on the ways in which they preserve and advance today’s musical life; and practical entries covering baton and rehearsal techniques, bowing terms, information about instruments, voice types and much more. In a series of appendixes, A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor also covers such topics as orchestral works that changed the art and practice of conducting, a short historiography of conducting, a comprehensive bibliography, a look at conducting recitative, and a list of pitches, interval names, rhythmic terms, orchestral and percussion instrument names, and finally translations of all of these categories of information into French, German, Italian, and Spanish. A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor will appeal to aspiring conductors and seasoned professionals. It is an invaluable resource.

George Szell

George Szell

Author: Michael Charry

Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Published: 2011-06-01

Total Pages: 466

ISBN-13: 0252093100

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This book is the first full biography of George Szell, one of the greatest orchestra and opera conductors of the twentieth century. From child prodigy pianist and composer to world-renowned conductor, Szell's career spanned seven decades, and he led most of the great orchestras and opera companies of the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the NBC and Chicago Symphonies, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and Opera, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. A protégé of composer-conductor Richard Strauss at the Berlin State Opera, his crowning achievement was his twenty-four-year tenure as musical director of the Cleveland Orchestra, transforming it into one of the world's greatest ensembles, touring triumphantly in the United States, Europe, the Soviet Union, South Korea, and Japan. Michael Charry, a conductor who worked with Szell and interviewed him, his family, and his associates over several decades, draws on this first-hand material and correspondence, orchestra records, reviews, and other archival sources to construct a lively and balanced portrait of Szell's life and work from his birth in 1897 in Budapest to his death in 1970 in Cleveland. Readers will follow Szell from his career in Europe, Great Britain, and Australia to his guest conducting at the New York Philharmonic and his distinguished tenure at the Metropolitan Opera and Cleveland Orchestra. Charry details Szell's personal and musical qualities, his recordings and broadcast concerts, his approach to the great works of the orchestral repertoire, and his famous orchestrational changes and interpretation of the symphonies of Robert Schumann. The book also lists Szell's conducting repertoire and includes a comprehensive discography. In highlighting Szell's legacy as a teacher and mentor as well as his contributions to orchestral and opera history, this biography will be of lasting interest to concert-goers, music lovers, conductors, musicians inspired by Szell's many great performances, and new generations who will come to know those performances through Szell's recorded legacy.


Book Synopsis George Szell by : Michael Charry

Download or read book George Szell written by Michael Charry and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2011-06-01 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is the first full biography of George Szell, one of the greatest orchestra and opera conductors of the twentieth century. From child prodigy pianist and composer to world-renowned conductor, Szell's career spanned seven decades, and he led most of the great orchestras and opera companies of the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the NBC and Chicago Symphonies, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and Opera, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. A protégé of composer-conductor Richard Strauss at the Berlin State Opera, his crowning achievement was his twenty-four-year tenure as musical director of the Cleveland Orchestra, transforming it into one of the world's greatest ensembles, touring triumphantly in the United States, Europe, the Soviet Union, South Korea, and Japan. Michael Charry, a conductor who worked with Szell and interviewed him, his family, and his associates over several decades, draws on this first-hand material and correspondence, orchestra records, reviews, and other archival sources to construct a lively and balanced portrait of Szell's life and work from his birth in 1897 in Budapest to his death in 1970 in Cleveland. Readers will follow Szell from his career in Europe, Great Britain, and Australia to his guest conducting at the New York Philharmonic and his distinguished tenure at the Metropolitan Opera and Cleveland Orchestra. Charry details Szell's personal and musical qualities, his recordings and broadcast concerts, his approach to the great works of the orchestral repertoire, and his famous orchestrational changes and interpretation of the symphonies of Robert Schumann. The book also lists Szell's conducting repertoire and includes a comprehensive discography. In highlighting Szell's legacy as a teacher and mentor as well as his contributions to orchestral and opera history, this biography will be of lasting interest to concert-goers, music lovers, conductors, musicians inspired by Szell's many great performances, and new generations who will come to know those performances through Szell's recorded legacy.

Classical Composers: Lives and Legacies

Classical Composers: Lives and Legacies

Author: Harry Tekell

Publisher: Richards Education

Published:

Total Pages: 143

ISBN-13:

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Classical Composers: Lives and Legacies is an expansive journey through the lives and works of the most influential figures in classical music history. From the Baroque masters like Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel, through the revolutionary works of Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, to the modern innovations of Philip Glass and Arvo Pärt, this book delves into the fascinating stories and enduring legacies of these musical giants. Each chapter offers insights into different eras and styles, examining the social, cultural, and technological contexts that shaped their compositions. Perfect for both classical music enthusiasts and those new to the genre, this book provides a comprehensive and engaging overview of the art form that has profoundly influenced our world.


Book Synopsis Classical Composers: Lives and Legacies by : Harry Tekell

Download or read book Classical Composers: Lives and Legacies written by Harry Tekell and published by Richards Education. This book was released on with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Classical Composers: Lives and Legacies is an expansive journey through the lives and works of the most influential figures in classical music history. From the Baroque masters like Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel, through the revolutionary works of Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, to the modern innovations of Philip Glass and Arvo Pärt, this book delves into the fascinating stories and enduring legacies of these musical giants. Each chapter offers insights into different eras and styles, examining the social, cultural, and technological contexts that shaped their compositions. Perfect for both classical music enthusiasts and those new to the genre, this book provides a comprehensive and engaging overview of the art form that has profoundly influenced our world.

MARCH THROUGH TIME

MARCH THROUGH TIME

Author: Frankie Billy Tadius

Publisher: Frankie Tadius

Published: 2023-07-31

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13:

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Introduction The Sarawak Police Band of Malaysia is a revered musical institution that has captivated audiences and made significant contributions to the country’s cultural landscape (Hendricks et al., 2016). In this captivating introductory chapter, we embark on a fascinating journey to explore the origins and formation of the Sarawak Police Band. We uncover the factors that led to its inception and trace its early steps, weaving a tale that intertwines music, culture, and the commitment to excellence. Our exploration takes us on a chronological analysis of the band’s evolution and development over the years. We delve into the remarkable changes in its instrumentation, performance methods, and musical styles, immersing ourselves in the band’s transformative journey. Additionally, we explore the band’s pedagogical initiatives and its partnerships with educational institutions. We shed light on the training and development programs that have shaped its members into exceptional musicians, elevating the ensemble to new heights.Through this chapter, our aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the Police Band’s rich history. We illuminate the pivotal moments and transformations that have molded it into the esteemed ensemble it is today. Join us as we embark on this captivating journey through time and discover the fascinating story of the Police Band—a tale that encompasses the power of music, the beauty of culture, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Main chapter in this book :- A. The band’s Sarawak development and growth over time since 1888 B. The evolution of musical performances and genres. c. Band members’ education and growth


Book Synopsis MARCH THROUGH TIME by : Frankie Billy Tadius

Download or read book MARCH THROUGH TIME written by Frankie Billy Tadius and published by Frankie Tadius. This book was released on 2023-07-31 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction The Sarawak Police Band of Malaysia is a revered musical institution that has captivated audiences and made significant contributions to the country’s cultural landscape (Hendricks et al., 2016). In this captivating introductory chapter, we embark on a fascinating journey to explore the origins and formation of the Sarawak Police Band. We uncover the factors that led to its inception and trace its early steps, weaving a tale that intertwines music, culture, and the commitment to excellence. Our exploration takes us on a chronological analysis of the band’s evolution and development over the years. We delve into the remarkable changes in its instrumentation, performance methods, and musical styles, immersing ourselves in the band’s transformative journey. Additionally, we explore the band’s pedagogical initiatives and its partnerships with educational institutions. We shed light on the training and development programs that have shaped its members into exceptional musicians, elevating the ensemble to new heights.Through this chapter, our aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the Police Band’s rich history. We illuminate the pivotal moments and transformations that have molded it into the esteemed ensemble it is today. Join us as we embark on this captivating journey through time and discover the fascinating story of the Police Band—a tale that encompasses the power of music, the beauty of culture, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Main chapter in this book :- A. The band’s Sarawak development and growth over time since 1888 B. The evolution of musical performances and genres. c. Band members’ education and growth

The Conductor

The Conductor

Author: Sarah Quigley

Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited

Published: 2011-08-26

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 1869795075

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A best-selling, compelling and evocatively realised novel based on real events and figures. It has now sold into eight different countries around the world. In June 1941, Nazi troops march on Leningrad and surround it. Hitler's plan is to shell, bomb, and starve the city into submission. Most of the cultural elite are evacuated early in the siege, but Dmitri Shostakovich, the most famous composer in Russia, stays on to defend his city, digging ditches and fire-watching. At night he composes a new work. But after Shostakovich and his family are forced to evacuate, only Karl Eliasberg - a shy and difficult man, conductor of the second-rate Radio Orchestra - and an assortment of musicians are left behind in Leningrad to face an unendurable winter and start rehearsing the finished score of Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony.


Book Synopsis The Conductor by : Sarah Quigley

Download or read book The Conductor written by Sarah Quigley and published by Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited. This book was released on 2011-08-26 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A best-selling, compelling and evocatively realised novel based on real events and figures. It has now sold into eight different countries around the world. In June 1941, Nazi troops march on Leningrad and surround it. Hitler's plan is to shell, bomb, and starve the city into submission. Most of the cultural elite are evacuated early in the siege, but Dmitri Shostakovich, the most famous composer in Russia, stays on to defend his city, digging ditches and fire-watching. At night he composes a new work. But after Shostakovich and his family are forced to evacuate, only Karl Eliasberg - a shy and difficult man, conductor of the second-rate Radio Orchestra - and an assortment of musicians are left behind in Leningrad to face an unendurable winter and start rehearsing the finished score of Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony.

Conducting the Brahms Symphonies

Conducting the Brahms Symphonies

Author: Christopher Dyment

Publisher: Boydell & Brewer

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 1783271000

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How did Brahms conduct his four symphonies? What did he want from other conductors when they performed these works, and to which among them did he give his approval? And crucially, are there any stylistic pointers to these performances in early recordings of the symphonies made in the first half of the twentieth century? For the first time, Christopher Dyment provides a comprehensive and in-depth answer to these important issues. Drawing together thestrands of existing research with extensive new material from a wide range of sources - the views of musicians, contemporary journals, memoirs, biographies and other critical literature - Dyment presents a vivid picture of historic performance practice in Brahms's era and the half-century that followed. Here is a remarkable panorama showcasing Brahms himself conducting, together with those conductors whom he heard, among them Levi, Richter, Nikisch, Weingartner and Fritz Steinbach, and their disciples, such as Toscanini, Stokowski, Boult and Fritz Busch. Here, too, are other famed Brahms conductors of the early twentieth century, including Furtwängler and Abendroth, whose connections with the Brahms tradition are closely examined. Dyment then analyses recordings of the symphonies by these conductors and highlights aspects which the composer might well have commended. Finally, Dyment suggests the importanceof his conclusions for those contemporary conductors who are currently attempting to rediscover genuine performance traditions in their own re-creations of the symphonies. This major study is complemented with forty photographs and a frontispiece. It is sure to fascinate musicians, Brahms enthusiasts and those interested in the history of recorded music. CHRISTOPHER DYMENT is author of Felix Weingartner: Recollections and Recordings(Triad Press 1976) and Toscanini in Britain (The Boydell Press 2012). He has published many articles about historic conductors over the last forty years.


Book Synopsis Conducting the Brahms Symphonies by : Christopher Dyment

Download or read book Conducting the Brahms Symphonies written by Christopher Dyment and published by Boydell & Brewer. This book was released on 2016 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did Brahms conduct his four symphonies? What did he want from other conductors when they performed these works, and to which among them did he give his approval? And crucially, are there any stylistic pointers to these performances in early recordings of the symphonies made in the first half of the twentieth century? For the first time, Christopher Dyment provides a comprehensive and in-depth answer to these important issues. Drawing together thestrands of existing research with extensive new material from a wide range of sources - the views of musicians, contemporary journals, memoirs, biographies and other critical literature - Dyment presents a vivid picture of historic performance practice in Brahms's era and the half-century that followed. Here is a remarkable panorama showcasing Brahms himself conducting, together with those conductors whom he heard, among them Levi, Richter, Nikisch, Weingartner and Fritz Steinbach, and their disciples, such as Toscanini, Stokowski, Boult and Fritz Busch. Here, too, are other famed Brahms conductors of the early twentieth century, including Furtwängler and Abendroth, whose connections with the Brahms tradition are closely examined. Dyment then analyses recordings of the symphonies by these conductors and highlights aspects which the composer might well have commended. Finally, Dyment suggests the importanceof his conclusions for those contemporary conductors who are currently attempting to rediscover genuine performance traditions in their own re-creations of the symphonies. This major study is complemented with forty photographs and a frontispiece. It is sure to fascinate musicians, Brahms enthusiasts and those interested in the history of recorded music. CHRISTOPHER DYMENT is author of Felix Weingartner: Recollections and Recordings(Triad Press 1976) and Toscanini in Britain (The Boydell Press 2012). He has published many articles about historic conductors over the last forty years.

Michael Costa: England's First Conductor

Michael Costa: England's First Conductor

Author: John Goulden

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-04-22

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 1317096916

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Among the major changes that swept through the music industry during the mid-nineteenth century, one that has received little attention is how musical performances were managed and directed. Yet this was arguably the most radical change of all: from a loose control shared between the violin-leader, musical director and maestro al cembalo to a system of tight and unified control under a professional conductor-manager. This process brought with it not only baton conducting in its modern form, but also higher standards of training and discipline, a new orchestral lay-out and a more focused rehearsal regime. The resulting rise in standards of performance was arguably the greatest achievement of English music in the otherwise rather barren mid-Victorian period. The key figure in this process was Michael Costa, who built for himself unprecedented contractual powers and used his awesome personal authority to impose reform on the three main institutions of mid-Victorian music: the opera houses, the Philharmonic and the Sacred Harmonic Society. He was a central figure in the battles between the two rival opera houses, between the Philharmonic and the New Philharmonic, and between the venerable Ancient Concerts and the mass festival events of the Sacred Harmonic Society. Costa’s uniquely powerful position in the operatic, symphonic and choral world and the rapidity with which he was forgotten after his death provide a fascinating insight into the politics and changing aesthetics of the Victorian musical world.


Book Synopsis Michael Costa: England's First Conductor by : John Goulden

Download or read book Michael Costa: England's First Conductor written by John Goulden and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-04-22 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Among the major changes that swept through the music industry during the mid-nineteenth century, one that has received little attention is how musical performances were managed and directed. Yet this was arguably the most radical change of all: from a loose control shared between the violin-leader, musical director and maestro al cembalo to a system of tight and unified control under a professional conductor-manager. This process brought with it not only baton conducting in its modern form, but also higher standards of training and discipline, a new orchestral lay-out and a more focused rehearsal regime. The resulting rise in standards of performance was arguably the greatest achievement of English music in the otherwise rather barren mid-Victorian period. The key figure in this process was Michael Costa, who built for himself unprecedented contractual powers and used his awesome personal authority to impose reform on the three main institutions of mid-Victorian music: the opera houses, the Philharmonic and the Sacred Harmonic Society. He was a central figure in the battles between the two rival opera houses, between the Philharmonic and the New Philharmonic, and between the venerable Ancient Concerts and the mass festival events of the Sacred Harmonic Society. Costa’s uniquely powerful position in the operatic, symphonic and choral world and the rapidity with which he was forgotten after his death provide a fascinating insight into the politics and changing aesthetics of the Victorian musical world.