A Polish Renaissance (20th-Century Composers)

Jacobson, Bernard

ISBN 10: 0714832510 / ISBN 13: 9780714832517

Published by Phaidon Press, 1996

Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine. Seller Inventory # CHL10850714

Synopsis:

Polish music has flowered in the twentieth century. Yet the four Poles whose story is told here -- Andrzej Panufnik (1914-91), Witold Lutoslawski (1913-94), Ktzystof Penderecki (b.1933), and Henryk Górecki (b.1933) -- are noted for their development of radically differing creative approaches, in spite of a common national background.

Against the varied canvas of musical styles practised in the latter half of the twentieth century -- including, on the one hand, serialism and its intellectual spin-offs, and on the other, the use of chance procedures, the 'new simplicity', and minimalism -- the author dramatizes the position of these four composers, showing how each transcends the musical movements with which they are habitually linked. Their compositional techniques are illuminated by a consideration of their lives and careers, which have so powerfully contributed to the phenomenon of rebirth in modern Polish music.

About the Author: Bernard Jacobson was Artistic Director of the Residentie Orkest (Hague Philharmonic) from 1992 to 1994, and is widely published as an author and translator.

Bibliographic Details

Title: A Polish Renaissance (20th-Century Composers)
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Publication Date: 1996
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Used; Very Good