...The Rest is Noise
Posted by: Wolf2 on 25 January 2008
This is an incredible book written about 20th C music. Great history lesson and the personalities really come out. Alex Ross is a music writer and critic for New Yorker magazine.
I'm only 110 pages into it but it's very engaging.
Anybody else have it or read it?
I'm only 110 pages into it but it's very engaging.
Anybody else have it or read it?
Posted on: 25 January 2008 by droodzilla
No but I (independently) found his blog today:
The Rest is Noise
It was linked to from another excellent classical music blog:
Overgrown Path
The Rest is Noise
It was linked to from another excellent classical music blog:
Overgrown Path
Posted on: 25 January 2008 by Tam
There was a review of this in the Economist a little while back, and while it caught my attention, I haven't got round to investigating further as yet:
http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10015908
regards, Tam
http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10015908
regards, Tam
Posted on: 27 January 2008 by Wolf2
I think you'll be very entertained by his writing. The friend who gave it to me said he does try to be positive about everybody. The only one he strains on is later Schoenberg and Boulez. But several of my very knowledgeable friends say that the ascetic tone system will die out but that it's still being taught in the higher theory music schools. Salonen in an interview said he was trained in it and worked hard in it till he was conducting Stravinsky and thought he really enjoyed it so much he went back to our tonal system and only uses 12 tone as a flavoring. Adams said the same thing, that's why he moved to the west coast to get away from the pervasive "serious" music critics.
Posted on: 29 January 2008 by Ghom
Yes I am reading it at the moment (nearly halfway through) - I bought it from amazon.com after reading a very positive review in the FT a few weeks ago.
My impressions are excellent to start with - Ross is an informative and engaging writer, who firmly positions classical music within the political and social context of the times. My concern maybe is that he has bitten off more than he can chew with such a vast topic and to my taste the balance is slightly wrong (essentially I would prefer to read more about the music itself than biographical details.)
My impressions are excellent to start with - Ross is an informative and engaging writer, who firmly positions classical music within the political and social context of the times. My concern maybe is that he has bitten off more than he can chew with such a vast topic and to my taste the balance is slightly wrong (essentially I would prefer to read more about the music itself than biographical details.)
Posted on: 29 January 2008 by Diccus62
Posted on: 30 January 2008 by BigH47
I'm assuming in this context music = classical?
Posted on: 30 January 2008 by Ghom
quote:Originally posted by BigH47:
I'm assuming in this context music = classical?
Pretty much 99%, though he talks a little about jazz as well, but more in terms of the influence of the likes of Duke Ellington on American classical composers such as Gershwin than any actual analysis. It's pretty clear from his references that he knows a bit about jazz and rock as well, so it approaches classical music from a well-rounded perspective.
It has a recommendation from Bjork on the back!
Posted on: 30 January 2008 by BigH47
quote:It has a recommendation from Bjork on the back!
Oh dear!
Posted on: 05 February 2008 by Wolf2
lol, Bjork, OK.
I've not read more than 150 pages but with all the political news here I think I should dive more into it. I like the mix of background politics, biographies and music. I don't know much about musical terms tho I've been to many talks before concerts.
I've not read more than 150 pages but with all the political news here I think I should dive more into it. I like the mix of background politics, biographies and music. I don't know much about musical terms tho I've been to many talks before concerts.