Harrison Birtwistle: The Mask of Orpheus: The Mask of Orpheus (Landmarks in Music Since 1950)

Arts & Photography

Cross, Jonathan

Music

Routledge

The music of Igor Stravinsky has had a profound impact on the development of twentieth-century music. In this book, Jonathan Cross explores the technical and aesthetic legacy of Stravinsky in relation to a broad range of composers, from Varèse to Andriessen, from Messiaen to Birtwistle. He also proposes a reexamination of Stravinsky's own neoclassical music and Theodor Adorno's notorious critique of Stravinsky. This book is part history, part analysis, part aesthetics, and will be of value to anyone who takes an interest in the music of our time.

The Stravinsky Legacy (Music in the Twentieth Century, Series Number 8)

Cambridge University Press

Harrison Birtwistle : Man, Mind, Music

Biographies & Memoirs

Faber and Faber

Hailed at its premiere at the London Coliseum in 1986 as the most important musical and theatrical event of the decade, The Mask of Orpheus is undoubtedly a key work in Harrison Birtwistle's output. His subsequent stage and concert pieces demand to be evaluated in its light. Increasingly, it is also viewed as a key work in the development of opera since the Second World War, a work that pushed at the boundaries of what was possible in lyrical theatre. In its imaginative fusion of music, song, drama, myth, mime and electronics, it has become a beacon for many younger composers, and the object of wide critical attention. Jonathan Cross begins his detailed study of this 'lyric tragedy' by placing it in the wider context of the reception of the Orpheus myth. In particular, the significance of Orpheus for the twentieth century is discussed, and this provides the backdrop for an examination of Birtwistle's preoccupation with the story in a variety of works across his creative life. The sources and genesis of The Mask of Orpheus are explored. This is followed by a close reading of the work's three acts, analysing their structure and meaning, investigating the relationship between music, text and drama, drawing on Zinovieff's textual drafts and Birtwistle's compositional sketches. The book concludes by suggesting a range of contexts within which The Mask of Orpheus might be understood. Its central themes of time, memory and identity, loss, mourning and melancholy, touch a deep sensibility in late-modern society and culture. Interviews with the librettist and composer round off this important study.

Arts & Literature

Sir Harrison Birtwistle is the most original, the most challenging, and the most controversial British composer of our time. His notoriously angular music is at once defiantly modernist and deeply indebted to the traditions, medieval and modern, of English music.Birtwistle composes for ensembles of every size and shape but is perhaps best known for his music for the opera stage. His opera Gawain, possibly his most famous work, is fully characteristic in its marriage of a modernist musical language and a mythic subject.Accessible to anyone with an interest in modern music, this book uncovers the sources of Birtwistle's art and presents a critical account of his musical, dramatic, and aesthetic preoccupations through an exploration of such topics as theater, myth, ritual, pastoral, pulse, and line. It places Birtwistle in a broad cultural context, examining the composers and painters who have influenced his work.

Harrison Birtwistle: Man, Mind, Music

Humor & Entertainment

Cornell University Press

Dermatillomania, or compulsive skin picking, is usually caused by some sort of stress that leads to picking as an emotional outlet, the results of which bring on additional stress, which only causes more picking. It becomes a vicious cycle that's so all-encompassing that many sufferers feel trapped without a way out, all the while feeling insecure and judged by those around them. Of course, if you have the time and the financial means, seeking professional psychological therapy is an effective way of overcoming dermatillomania. However, if you prefer to battle the affliction on your own, then this book will arm you with all the tools you need. Here you'll be provided with a mixture of psychological techniques that will teach you how to channel the urge to pick, catch yourself in the act, and even tone it down gradually until it no longer has a death grip on your mind or occurs subconsciously without your approval. None of these methods require any medication: the only thing they require from you is a genuine desire to dig your way out of the clutches of this dermatillomania.

Dermatillomania Treatment and Self-Help: How to Stop Chronic, Obsessive Compusive Skin Picking

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Mental Health

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

The Soul Bearer

Sterling House Pub

The Vatican Conspiracy

Readers will not be able to put down The Vatican Conspiracy, the latest thrilling adventure by Jonathan Cross. In this mystical suspense novel, the first American/Jewish Pope conspires with the head of the Italian Mafia, a U.S. Senator, a young Jesuit priest, and a covert military operative to stop drug cartels from selling drugs to children. Will he be successful? The action twists and turns continually as this mystical thriller rushes to its stunning conclusion. Vatican Conspiracy is a must-read for suspense fans. About the Author: Jonathan Cross of Honolulu has written three suspense/mystery novels. His ability to weave plot and character provides a new and exciting style of writing that puts readers inside the story, making them feel part of the plot. Publisher's Website: http://sbpra.com/JonathanCross

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Thrillers & Suspense

Strategic Book Publishing

Rustik Haws LLC

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Books by Cross, Jonathan