The Conservatoire Américain : a history / Kendra Preston Leonard.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Leonard, Kendra Preston.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Conservatoire américain de Fontainebleau--History.

Conservatoire américain de Fontainebleau.

History.

Physical Description:

xxix, 263 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 2007.

Summary:

The history of the Conservatoire Americain, the French musical institution responsible for training generations of American musicians, is captured for the first time in this full-length narrative. The school's faculty and students have included some of the most influential musical figures of the twentieth century, including Aaron Copland, Nadia Boulanger, and Elliott Carter. Students were introduced-sometimes literally - to great French composers such as Maurice Ravel, Jean Francaix, and Darius Milhaud. The Conservatoire Americain brought performers into the recording age and encouraged women to pursue solo musical careers at a time when such a thing was exceptionally rare among Americans.

The Conservatoire Americain: A History details the chronology of the institution by examining discrete periods in the school's history, from its saving by Robert and Gaby Casadesus during World War II, to its recognition and productivity while under the direction of Nadia Boulanger, to its rebirth by an American administration dedicated to bringing back its golden age. The book concludes with several appendixes offering comprehensive reference information on the school's attendees and practices, course listings, awards and diplomas, students, notable faculty, and guest artists.

Contents:

The institution without precedent. The institution without precedent (1921-1928) ; The age of opulence (1929-1939) ; Interlude: Elizabeth Saylor (1939)

Exile and war. At home in exile (1940-1945) ; Reconstruction (1946-1948) ; Interlude 2: Gaby Casadesus (1946)

"La belle dame sans merci." A new era (1949-1957) ; La belle dame sans merci (1958-1979) ; Interlude 3: Emile Naoumoff (1970s)

"Après elle le deluge." "Après elle le deluge" (1980-1987) ; The schism opens (1988-1993)

The frog rodeo. The frog rodeo (1994-present).

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 251-255) and index.

ISBN:

0810857324

9780810857322

OCLC:

70883157