Beethoven for a Later Age: The Journey of a String Quartet - Softcover

Dusinberre, Edward

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0571317146 ISBN 13: 9780571317141

Verlag: Faber & Faber, 2016

Inhaltsangabe

'They are not for you but for a later age!' Ludwig van Beethoven, on the Opus 59 quartetsBeethoven's sixteen string quartets are some of the most extraordinary and challenging pieces of music ever written. They have inspired artists of all kinds - not only musicians - and have been subject to endless reinterpretation. What does it feel like to be a musician taking on these iconic works? And how do the four string players who make up a quartet interact, both musically and personally?The Takacs is one of the world's pre-eminent string quartets., Performances of Beethoven have shaped their work together for over forty years. Using the history of both the Takacs Quartet and the Beethoven quartets as the backbone to his story, Edward Dusinberre, first violinist of the Takacs since 1993, recounts the exhilarating challenge of tackling these pieces. Beethoven for a Later Age takes the reader inside the daily life of a quartet, vividly showing the necessary creative tension between individual and group expression and how four people can enjoy making music together over a long period of time., The key, the author argues, is in balancing continuity with change and experimentation - a theme that lies at the heart of Beethoven's remarkable compositions. No other composer has posed so many questions about the form and emotional content of a string quartet, and come up with so many different answers. In an accessible style, suitable for novices and chamber music enthusiasts alike, Dusinberre illuminates the variety and inherent contradictions of Beethoven's quartets, composed against the turbulent backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars and their aftermath, and shows that engaging with this radical music continues to be as invigorating now as it was for its first performers and audiences.

Über diesen Titel

Críticas

A richly detailed portrayal of the intimate workings of a great string quartet, in the case the magical Takács ... Fascinating certainly to someone working in another artistic realm entirely. (Philip Roth)

In the course of Edward Dusinberre's wonderful, engaging and intimate book, the eager listener (even one like me, with no technical knowledge of music) is initiated into the mysteries of composing and playing some of the greatest music ever heard. The music, as a result, seems even greater - and more mysterious than ever. (Geoff Dyer)

A fascinating book about the musical life of this group of players. (Economist)

The narrative is as potentially complex as one of Beethoven's knotty four-part fugues in the late quartets, but 20 years' experience of playing chamber music has made Dusinberre adept at handling the interplay of multiple themes. Self-awareness and a sense of humour play their part. Sleight of hand makes the book entertaining and easy to digest. (Financial Times)

Biografía del autor

Edward Dusinberre is first violinist of the world-renowned Takacs Quartet. The Takacs' recordings of Beethoven's string quartets, released on the Decca label and widely considered one of the most significant recent recordings of the repertoire, have earned numerous awards world-wide, including a Grammy, two Gramophone Awards, and BBC Music Magazine's 'CD of the Year'. They will perform complete cycles of the Beethoven quartets in the USA and London in the 2016/17 season. Dusinberre is Artist-in-Residence at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Über diese Auflage

• Verlag: Faber & Faber
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0571317146
• ISBN 13: 9780571317141
• Einband: Tapa blanda
• Anzahl der Seiten: 272