Music at the Limits (Columbia Themes in Philosophy, Social Criticism, and the Arts)

Edward W. Said (1935-2003) was University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. He was the music critic for the Nation and the author of numerous books, including Out of Place, Culture and Imperialism, and Orientalism. His books with Columbia University Press include Joseph Conrad and the Fiction of Autobiography, Humanism and Democratic Criticism, Beginnings: Intention and Method, and Musical Elaborations. MUS006000,Music/Genres and Styles/Classical,MUS000000,Music/General The Music Itself : Glenn Gould's Contrapuntal Vision -- Remembrance Of Things Played : Presence And Memory In The Pianist's Art -- Pomp And Circumstance (on Musical Festivals) -- On Richard Strauss -- Die Walküre, Aida, X -- Music And Feminism -- Maestro For The Masses (review Of Understanding Toscanini) -- Middle Age And Performers -- The Vienna Philharmonic : The Complete Beethoven Symphonies And Concertos -- The Barber Of Seville, Don Giovanni -- Glenn Gould At The Metropolitan Museum -- Giulio Cesare -- Bluebeard's Castle, Erwartung -- Extreme Occasions (on Celibidache) -- Peter Sellars's Mozart -- András Schiff At Carnegie Hall -- Richard Strauss -- Wagner And The Met's Ring -- Opera Productions (der Rosenkavalier, House Of The Dead, Doctor Faust) -- Style And Stylessness (elektra, Semiramide, Katya Kabanova) -- Alfred Brendel : Words For Music (review Of Alfred Brendel's Music Sounded Out: Essays, Lectures, Interviews, Afterthoughts) --^ Die Tote Stadt, Fidelio, The Death Of Klinghoffer -- Uncertainties Of Style (the Ghosts Of Versailles, Die Soldaten) -- Musical Retrospection -- The Bard Festival -- The Importance Of Being Unfaithful To Wagner -- Music As Gesture (on Solti) -- Les Troyens -- Child's Play (review Of Maynard Solomon's Mozart: A Life) -- 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould -- Bach's Genius, Schumann's Eccentricity, Chopin's Ruthlessness, Rosen's Gift (review Of Charles Rosen's The Romantic Generation) -- Why Listen To Boulez? -- Hindemith And Mozart -- Review Of Michael Tanner's Wagner -- In The Chair (review Of Peter Ostwald's Glenn Gould And The Tragedy Of Genius) -- On Fidelio -- Music And Spectacle (la Cenerentola And The Rake's Progress) -- Review Of Gottfried Wagner's He Who Does Not Howl With The Wolf : The Wagner Legacy: An Autobiography -- Bach For The Masses -- Daniel Barenboim (bonding Across Cultural Boundaries) -- Glenn Gould, The Virtuoso As Intellectual --^ Cosmic Ambition (review Of Christoph Wolff's Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician) -- Barenboim And The Wagner Taboo -- Untimely Meditations (review Of Maynard Solomon's Late Beethoven). Edward W. Said. Includes Index.

music At The Limits Is The First Book To Bring Together Three Decades Of Edward W. Said's Essays And Articles On Music. Addressing The Work Of A Variety Of Composers, Musicians, And Performers, Said Carefully Draws Out Music's Social, Political, And Cultural Contexts And, As A Classically Trained Pianist, Provides Rich And Often Surprising Assessments Of Classical Music And Opera. Said Saw Music As A Reflection Of His Ideas On Literature And History And Paid Close Attention To Its Composition And Creative Possibilities. Eloquent And Surprising, music At The Limits Preserves An Important Dimension Of Said's Brilliant Intellectual Work And Cements His Reputation As One Of The Most Influential And Groundbreaking Scholars Of The Twentieth Century.

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though Best Known For His Political Writings (orientalism), Said Was Also, From 1986 Until His Death In 2003, The Music Critic For The nation, And This Collection Draws Together Reviews From That Publication And Other Magazines. Said Had Very Firm Opinions And Lashed Out Against New York City's Classical Music Scene In The 1980s And Early '90s For Producing Safe But Grimly Uninteresting Performances And Repertories. Instead Of Simply Blaming The Intellectual Cowardice Of Most Contemporary Musicians, However, He Was Able To Provide Detailed Technical Critiques Of A Conductor's Handling Of A Beethoven Symphony Or A Singer's Inadequacies In A Wagnerian Role. Glenn Gould's Intellectualized Style Of Playing Was A Source Of Fascination To The Critic, And New Biographies Or Films About The Pianist Would Inevitably Draw His Attention. Said Also Writes About His Friendship With Daniel Barenboim (who Contributes An Introduction), Which Leads To One Of The Few Discussions Of Middle Eastern Politics; A Review Of The Controversial Opera the Death Of Klinghoffersparks Another. For The Most Part, However, His Attention Is Strictly On The Music, And He Proves Himself To Have Been Astute And Passionately Engaged. (nov.)

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Articles for The nation. Pomp and circumstance (on musical festivals) ; Music (on Richard Strauss) ; Die Walkure, Aida, X ; Music (music and feminism) ; Middle age and performers ; Music (the Vienna Philharmonic : the complete Beethoven symphonies and concertos) ; The Barber of Seville, Don Giovanni ; Glenn Gould at the Metropolitan Museum ; Giulio Cesare ; Bluebeard's Castle and Erwartung ; Extreme occasions (on Celibidache) ; Peter Sellars's Mozart ; Andras Schiff at Carnegie Hall ; Richard Strauss ; Wagner and the Met's Ring ; Opera productions (Der Rosenkavalier, House of the dead, Doctor Faust) ; Style and stylessness (Elektra, Semiramide, Katya Kabanova) ; Die tote Stadt, Fidelio, The death of Klinghoffer ; Uncertainties of style (The ghosts of Versailles, Die Soldaten) ; Musical retrospection ; The bard festival ; Music as gesture (on Solti) ; Les troyens ; Why listen to Boulez? ; Hindemith and Mozart ; Music and spectacle (La cenerentola and The rake's progress) ; Bach for the masses ; Untimely meditations (review of Maynard Solomon's Late Beethoven) Articles for the London review of books. The importance of being unfaithful to Wagner ; Bach's genius, Schumann's eccentricity, Chopin's ruthlessness, Rosen's gift (review of Charles Rosen's The romantic generation) ; In the chair (review of Peter Ostwald's Glenn Gould and the tragedy of genius) ; On Fidelio ; Cosmic ambition (review of Christoph Wolff's Johann Sebastian Bach : the learned musician) Other music articles. The music itself : Glenn Gould's contrapuntal vision ; Alfred Brendel : words for music (review of Alfred Brendel's Music sounded out : essays, lectures, interviews, afterthoughts) ; Child's play (review of Maynard Solomon's Mozart : a life) ; Review of Michael Tanner's Wagner ; Review of Gottfried Wagner's He who does not howl with the wolf : The Wagner legacy : an autobiography ; 32 short films about Glenn Gould ; Daniel Barenboim (bonding across cultural boundaries) ; Barenboim and the Wagner taboo ; Maestro for the masses (review of Understanding Toscanini) Bach/Beethoven ; Observing Daniel Barenboim. "Music at the Limits" is the first book to bring together three decades of Edward W. Said's essays and articles on music. Addressing the work of a variety of composers, musicians, and performers, Said carefully draws out music's social, political, and cultural contexts and, as a classically trained pianist, provides rich and often surprising assessments of classical music and opera. "Music at the Limits" offers both a fresh perspective on canonical pieces and a celebration of neglected works by contemporary composers. Said faults the Metropolitan Opera in New York for being too conservative and laments the way in which opera superstars like Pavarotti have "reduced opera performance to a minimum of intelligence and a maximum of overproduced noise." He also reflects on the censorship of Wagner in Israel; the worrisome trend of proliferating music festivals; an opera based on the life of Malcolm X; the relationship between music and feminism; the pianist Glenn Gould; and the works of Mozart, Bach, Richard Strauss, and others. Said wrote his incisive critiques as both an insider and an authority. He saw music as a reflection of his ideas on literature and history and paid close attention to its composition and creative possibilities. Eloquent and surprising, "Music at the Limits" preserves an important dimension of Said's brilliant intellectual work and cements his reputation as one of the most influential and groundbreaking scholars of the twentieth century. "Music at the Limits is the first book to bring together three decades of Edward W. Said's essays and articles on music. Addressing the work of a variety of composers, musicians, and performers, Said carefully draws out music's social, political, and cultural contexts and, as a classically trained pianist, provides rich and often surprising assessments of classical music and opera."--Jacket