The twelfth-century German abbess Hildegard of Bingen would have been remarkable in any age. Today, her growing reputation as a composer of religious music has overshadowed the astonishing variety of her accomplishments and her part in the scientific, cultural, and theological revolution of the pre-Renaissance, from religion and mysticism to medicine and sex. Scivias, her book of apocalyptic visions, with its extraordinary and compelling illustrations, would alone have been enough to endure her lasting fame. The story of Hildegard's life, from her entry into a monastery at Disibodenberg on the Rhine as a child, through the exploration of her pent-up genius in middle years, to her eventual admission to the German canon of saints, is here told against a rich background of the years of the Crusades, the flowering of monasticism, papal schism and heresy. The forceful character that emerges challenges any image of demurely subjugated womanhood associated with the period. Hildegard's story is as fascinating as that of any figure in the Middle Ages, and she and her musical legacy continue to be the subject of debate a thousand years later.

Hildegard of Bingen: The Woman of Her Age

Biographies & Memoirs

Maddocks, Fiona

Community & Culture

The Crown Publishing Group

Best known today as a fine composer, the twelfth-century German abbess Hildegard of Bingen was also a religious leader and visionary, a poet, naturalist and writer of medical treatises. Despite her cloistered life she had strong, often controversial views on sex, love and marriage too - a woman astonishing in her own age, whose book of apocalyptic visions, Scivias, would alone have been enough to ensure her lasting fame. In this classic and highly praised biography - first published by Headline in 2001 - distinguished writer and journalist, Fiona Maddocks, draws on Hildegard's prolific writings to paint a portrait of her extraordinary life against the turbulent medieval background of crusade and schism, scientific discovery and cultural revolution. The great intellectual gifts and forceful character that emerge make her as fascinating as any figure in the Middle Ages. More than 800 years after her death, Pope Benedict XVI has made Hildegard a Saint and a Doctor of the Church (one of only four women). Fiona Maddocks has provided a short new preface to cover these tributes to an extraordinary and exceptional woman.

Hildegard of Bingen

Faber&Faber

Sir Harrison Birtwistle is one of Britains greatest contemporary composers, but has usually been reluctant to discuss his music. In 2013, as he approached the age of 80, he agreed to take part in this series of conversations, which happened mostly at his kitchen table, over a period of six months. They offer insights into his career and compositional process, his thoughts on the composers whom he most admires and his non-musical interests, such as cricket, nature and his family.

HARRISON BIRTWISTLE WILD TRACKS

Arts & Literature

"Fiona Maddocks's descriptions are dangerously moreish...a timely reminder of the importance of music." -- BBC Music How does music reflect the key moments in our lives? How do we choose the works that inspire, delight, comfort, or console? Fiona Maddocks selects 100 classical works from across nine centuries, arguing passionately, persuasively and at times obstinately for their inclusion, putting each work in its cultural and musical context, discussing omissions, suggesting alternatives and always putting the music first.

Music for Life: 100 Classical Works to Carry You Through

Religion & Spirituality

An accessible, authoritative and entertaining introduction to 20th Century Classical Music for adult readers. Part of the new Ladybird Expert series, 20th Century Classical Music is a clear, simple and entertaining introduction to the music that encapsulated the defining moments of the contemporary world. Written by The Observer's classical music critic Fiona Maddocks, 20th Century Classical Music will take you on an acoustic journey through history with a curated playlist on each page. At the turn of the century, Schoenberg pioneered 'atonality,' a new breed of classical music aimed to challenge rather than soothe. Next came Stravinsky's riotous Rite of Spring written on the eve of WWI, evoking the barbaric and obscene. From the influence of the jazz age and the sounds of cities, the nationalism of folk revival, Russian revolutions from the Bolsheviks to Stalin, to the fall of the Berlin Wall, you'll learn how composers painted with a full orchestral palette to capture the sentiments of their time. Other titles in Series 117 Nuclear Deterrence Artificial Intelligence Quantum Mechanics Consciousness

Twentieth-Century Classical Music: A Ladybird Expert Book (20) (The Ladybird Expert Series)

Arts & Photography

Music

Michael, Joseph

Headline/Review

Shipped from UK, please allow 10 to 21 business days for arrival. Good, A very good, clean &amp; sound copy.

Hildegard of Bingen The Woman of Her Age

Headline Book Publishing

Goodbye Russia: Rachmaninoff in Exile

Pegasus Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Maddocks, Fiona. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Maddocks, Fiona

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Maddocks, Fiona. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Hildegard of Bingen: The Woman of Her Age

Hildegard of Bingen

HARRISON BIRTWISTLE WILD TRACKS

Music for Life: 100 Classical Works to Carry You Through

Twentieth-Century Classical Music: A Ladybird Expert Book (20) (The Ladybird Expert Series)

Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard of Bingen The Woman of Her Age

Goodbye Russia: Rachmaninoff in Exile