Howard Skempton : conversations and reflections on music / Esther Cavett ; edited by Esther Cavett and Matthew Head.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cavett, Esther, author, editor.

Contributor:

Head, Matthew, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Skempton, Howard, 1947---Criticism and interpretation.

Skempton, Howard.

Skempton, Howard, 1947-.

Criticism and interpretation.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xxix, 266 pages : illustrations, music ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Woodbridge : The Boydell Press, 2019.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Histories

Conversation 1 Childhood and teenage years p. 3

Place in the family p. 3

Encouragement at school p. 4

On being rescued p. 5

Hearing Webern p. 6

Piano lessons with Tom Wess p. 8

A difficult gap year p. 10

Sabotage and validation p. 11

Reflection 1 Music and/as home p. 15 / Matthew Head

Chapter 2 Influences

Conversation 2 The music from A Humming Song (1967) to Lento (1990) p. 33

A Humming Song (1967) and architecture p. 33

Feldman, Mondrian, sonority, and the use of chance p. 38

Contrasts and continuity p. 42

Simple Piano Piece (1972), inspiration, and importance of poetry p. 45

Heart Sounds (1974) and constructivist painting p. 46

Pieces for Britten p. 49

Urgency and freedom p. 51

The 1980s: Pieces for friends and events p. 52

The years running up to Lento (1990) p. 54

Reflection 2 Skempton and experimentalism p. 57 / Heather Wiebe

Chapter 3 Pattern and shape

Conversation 3 Becoming established, and the music after Lento (1990) p. 69

Becoming a professional composer p. 69

Commitment to composition p. 72

My musical models p. 73

On being original and responding to circumstance p. 75

Beachcombing and outflanking the opposition p. 76

Being content to continually arrange the furniture in the same room p. 78

On commissioning and continuity p. 81

On musical beginnings p. 82

On musical endings p. 84

Choosing a new project p. 84

Golden sections p. 85

Image and self-image p. 85

Following Feldman's arc p. 86

Serialism p. 87

Composing p. 88

Reflection 3 "Strangely simple": Howard Skempton's composing p. 91 / Arnold Whittall

Interval: Previously unpublished manuscripts

Chapter 4 Influencing

Conversation 4 On teaching composition p. 129

Focusing on fundamentals p. 129

Turning straw into gold p. 130

Teaching by example p. 131

Following the rules? p. 132

Opening minds, not limiting them p. 133

Cross-cutting themes p. 134

Stepping outside p. 136

Skills of the young composer p. 138

Rhythm p. 139

Being practical p. 140

Work with the best; vocal setting p. 141

Social role of the composer p. 142

Lessons were "magical": Skempton's composition students p. 144

Conversation with Luke Deane p. 144

Testimony from Rosie Clements about her studies with Skempton p. 148

Reflection 4 "Not a lot spoken, but a lot said": Skempton as teacher and composer p. 149 / Pwyll ap Siôn

Chapter 5 Performing / Peter Hill and Thalia Myers and John Tilbury and James Weeks and Howard Skempton

"Simplicity about him": First encounters with Skempton p. 171

"Distillation and decontextualization": Commissioning Skempton p. 172

Performing and/as analyzing the piano music p. 175

Music that anyone can (fail to) perform well p. 178

"Robust" enough to "muck about with": Rearranging Skempton p. 179

"He was absolutely no help at all": Playing, authority, and getting it right p. 180

Spirituality and performance: Music beyond technique p. 182

"I was always performing" p. 183

Chapter 6 Narrative and closure

The story of the story p. 187 / Esther Cavett

After-image: A reflection on a reflection p. 201 / Howard Skempton.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (page 234-243) and index.

Other Format:

ebook version :

ISBN:

9781783273218

1783273216

OCLC:

1085191487