The Pierrot ensembles : chronicle and catalogue 1912-2012 / Christopher Dromey.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dromey, Christopher.

Contributor:

Wintle, Christopher.

Series:

Poetics of music

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Schoenberg, Arnold, 1874-1951. Pierrot lunaire.

Schoenberg, Arnold.

Schoenberg, Arnold, 1874-1951--Influence.

Birtwistle, Harrison.

Davies, Peter Maxwell, 1934-2016.

Schoenberg, Arnold, 1874-1951.

Chamber music--20th century--History and criticism.

Chamber music.

Chamber music--21st century--History and criticism.

Songs with instrumental ensemble--20th century--History and criticism.

Songs with instrumental ensemble.

Songs with instrumental ensemble--21st century--History and criticism.

Chamber music--20th century--Bibliography.

Chamber music--21st century--Bibliography.

Songs with instrumental ensemble--20th century--Bibliography.

Songs with instrumental ensemble--21st century--Bibliography.

Pierrot Players.

Fires of London (Musical group).

Chamber music groups--History--20th century.

Chamber music groups.

Chamber music groups--History--21st century.

Davies, Peter Maxwell, 1934-2016--Criticism and interpretation.

Davies, Peter Maxwell.

Birtwistle, Harrison--Criticism and interpretation.

Criticism and interpretation.

History.

Genre:

Bibliographies.

Physical Description:

xii, 299 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

London : Plumbago Books : In association with Middlesex University ; Woodbridge, Suffolk ; Rochester, N.Y. : Distribution and sales, Boydell & Brewer, 2012.

Summary:

"2012 is the centenary of the first performance of Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot lunaire, Op. 21, and over the last hundred years its mixed chamber ensemble has become, in all its protean forms, a principal line-up for modern music. This book, the first of its kind, chronicles the ensemble's evolution from Pierrot's earliest performances, monitoring its influence on the Continent as well as upon Walton, Britten, Lutyens and Searle in Britain. In particular, it watches the growth of The Pierrot Players (later The Fires of London), one of the most galvanizing groups in post-war British music, and looks carefully at the social dynamics among its players and composers, notably Peter Maxwell Davies and Harrison Birtwistle. The influence of Pierrot, however, has not been confined to Europe and Britain. In the final section the author catalogues over 400 principal works for 'Pierrot Ensembles'--with or without singer--drawn from both sides of the Atlantic"--Jacket.

Contents:

Chronicle

1 Pierrot Lunaire 9

2 The First Pierrot Ensembles 23

Arnold Schoenberg as Conductor and Composer 23

Pierrots Progenies? 27

Pierrots Premieres and Revivals, 1921-25 31

3 Benjamin Britten's Pierrot Ensembles 49

Benjamin Britten: A Cinematic Response (I) 51

Dinner Hour 54

Men Behind the Meters 55

4 'Freak' Works 65

Music-making in Britain during the War 65

The Pierrot and Façade Ensembles 68

5 Two Twelve-note Pierrot Ensembles 77

Hanns Eisler: A Cinematic Response (II) 79

Elisabeth Lutyens's Mask 81

6 Rejuvenating Post-war Performance 89

Humphrey Searle's Society for Twentieth Century Music, 1952 91

The London Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble 97

7 The Pierrot Players 107

Redefining the Young British Composer 107

Towards the Pierrot Players 110

Harrison Birtwistle's Experiment 113

Peter Maxwell Davies's Success 116

'A Garland for Dr K.',1969 123

8 Rethinking Birtwistle's Role 137

Birtwistle and the Group Ethos 138

'Spring Song', 1970 142

9 The Fires of London 153

Peter Maxwell Davies: Two Cinematic Responses (III/IV) 160

Towards an Orcadian Pierrot Ensemble 164.

Notes:

Edited by Christopher Wintle.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [269]-282) and index.

ISBN:

0956600735

9780956600738

9780956600721

0956600727

OCLC:

820123730

Publisher Number:

99953880061