In his follow-up to "Sullivan. A Composer's Life in Victorian England" Meinhard Saremba has broadened the view to present British Music as examplified in the life and work of twelve prominent British composers of the 19th and 20th century.
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Contents:
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The following excerpt is quoted from Sir Colin's original text which appears in German translation in the book.
'A welcome and unexpected surprise! A book by a German author about a dozen British composer's from Sullivan to Birtwistle which will surely stimulate a wider interest in their music and remind German readers of the extraordinary variety of their achievement. The British composer hasn't had an easy time. Since the glories of the Elizabethians and Henry Purcell and Handel, music had been in eclipse in the organ loft where it was confined by a sense of social and intellectual inferiority. The emergence of Elgar and his successes in Germany heralded the breakout. A Renaissance was underway which has brought British compositions to the attention of the world.
This Reanaissance is charted in this book. Here one may make the acquaintance of some of the personalities who played and are playing a great part in it. (...) Future generations will find in this music from 20th Century universal qualities. Britain is no longer the "land without music".'
Geoffrey Scargill in The Elgar Society Journal (Summer 1994, pp. 284-86)
'This book is by a missionary. Intented for German readers and not yet available in English, its aim is to introduce British music, here defined as originated in the mid-nineteenth century, to "those who are ready to explore new and perhaps unfamiliar fields". (...) Judging the success of his enterprise in German-speaking countries is rather beyond the scope of the Journal. We must wish him well, for the book's fresh judgments, pace and grasp of detail deserve success. (...)
The aim throughout is to link the music of the composers to the times they live(d) in, a routine enough device, but one which the author's different standpoint brings alive. (...) Nuggets a-plenty in a splendid and authorative collection of highly individual portraits.'
Stephen Turnbull in The British Music Society News 63 (Sept. 1994).
'There are no revolutionary new insights here: that is not the author's purpose. Instead he provides an intelligently written, carefully researched introduction to the last 150 years of British musical history from the standpoint of an open-minded foreigner - exactly what a German-speaking music lover might look for.
(...) If your German is anything like reasonable (bearing in mind that it is always easier to understand a foreign language in print than to actually speak it) this work will not prove unduly difficult, and it will reward the patient reader with a fascinating new perspective on a topic that might have been thought familiar.'
Saremba, Meinhard: Elgar, Britten & Co. Eine Geschichte der
britischen Musik in zwölf Portraits.
Edition Musik &
Theater 1994.
ISBN 3-7265-6029-7. Price: DM 58,--
509 pages, Hardcover. 35 illustrations.
In addition:
Detailed synchronology
Bibliography
Discography, Videography etc.
Contact addresses of music societies in Great Britain
This page was supplied by Andreas Saremba, Berlin. Send him Email if you wish to contact the book's author.
Order: www.amazon.de
See also: www.sullivan-forschung.de