Reference
The lives of the great composers
1970·588 pages
Biographical portraits of major classical composers from Monteverdi to the 1990s, stressing their human lives and eras over technical analysis.
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Biographical portraits of major classical composers from Monteverdi to the 1990s, stressing their human lives and eras over technical analysis.
About
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In the new edition of this highly successful book, Harold Schonberg has traced the consecutive line of composers from Claudio Monteverdi to the tonalists of the 1990s through a series of fascinating biographical chapters. Music, the author contends, is a continually evolving art, and there have been no geniuses, however, great, who have not been influenced by their predecessors. The great composers are here presented as human beings who lived and related to the real world around them.
Schonberg...
What's Inside
will contain mild spoilers
Sexual content
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Biographical mentions of courtships, marriages, affairs, and romantic obsessions
Violence & gore
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Brief historical deaths, wars, and turbulent eras affecting composers' lives
Profanity
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No profanity present
Substance use
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Recurring alcohol use and addiction in lives of several composers
LGBTQ+ Rep.
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Passing biographical notes on some composers' same-sex relationships or identity
Religious content
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Recurring sacred works, faith, and spiritual themes in composers' lives
Magic & witchcraft
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No fantasy magic or witchcraft present
Occult / demonology
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Brief mentions of visions or angels tied to mental illness, not practice
Political content
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Recurring historical politics, patronage, nationalism, and cultural context
Self-harm / suicide
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Accounts of suicide attempts and debated suicides among composers
Abuse & suffering
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Abusive parenting, poverty, illness, and personal hardship in many lives
Other
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No information found