THE STORY OF THE ORCHESTRA

by Paul Bekker ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1936

A very thorough history of the development of symphonic and operatic music which is organized to reflect the different trends in other mediums, and primarily the social force, on music. Therefore, to one who cannot fully comprehend the more technical passages on instrumentation and harmony, the author has succeeded in making clear the general growth of the orchestra through his analysis of the more comprehensive musical phases. He takes up chiefly the classical, rational, symphonic music of Hayden, then the fusion of classicism with romanticism in Beethoven, on to the pure romanticism of Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann and Weber. Perhaps the finest part deals with Wagner's cosmic music, which is followed by the discussion of more modern movements. A book for students with some grounding in harmony. Lucid, well-organized, but not easy reading.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1936

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Norton

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1936

Categories: NONFICTION