The year 2000 has been declared a
"Bach Year," marking the 250th anniversary of the great composer's
death. Around the world, there will be major celebrations in honor of
his astonishing body of work. This major biography of Bach, now
completely revised and boasting 25 per cent more material, is published
to coincide with these events. In the new edition of this widely
acclaimed study, biographical chapters alternate with commentary on the
works, to demonstrate how the circumstances of Bach's life helped to
shape the music he wrote at various periods. We follow Bach as he
travels from Arnstadt and Muhlhausen to Weimar, Cothen, and finally
Leipzig, these journeys alternating with insightful discussions of the
great composer's organ and orchestral compositions. As well as
presenting a rounded picture of Bach, his music, and his posthumous
reputation and influence, Malcolm Boyd considers the sometimes
controversial topics of "parody" and arrangement, number symbolism, and
the style and meaning of Bach's late works. Recent theories on the
constitution of Bach's performing forces at Leipzig are also present.
The text and the appendixes (which include a chronology, personalia,
bibliography, and a complete catalogue of Bach's works) have been
thoroughly revised to take account of the research undertaken by Bach
scholars, including the gold mine of new information recently uncovered
in the former USSR. An authoritative account of the life and work of
Johann Sebastian Bach, this volume will be essential reading for
everyone interested in the classical composers.
344 pages Oxford University Press, USA; 3 edition (January 18, 2001) English
Available upon email request only
FAQ
No comments:
Post a Comment