Genres Books

One of the most loved Christian Romance writers, Gail brings a wealth of knowledge to her topic. She covers every area of writing the Christian romance, from heroes and heroines to editing and submitting your work. If you're interested in writing Christian Romance, this is the book for you.

Gail's book has given me insights into my genre, as well as direction in technique. She has succinctly defined our category and provided a useful tool in a market previously lacking such a resource. Three cheers to Gail Gaymer Martin and Writer's Digest for meeting this need.

Gail's book is the 'bible' for new Christian romance writers. She covers every angle I could think of to get a writer started and headed in the right direction, giving examples from her own and other authors' works.

This book is a great resource for romance writers of all genres, but especially for those writing for the Christian market. Full of examples and at-your-fingertips information, the book is an easy-read, and one you'll refer back to again and again. Plus, it's pretty enough to be a coffee table edition.

Having read some of her novels, I was looking forward to reading Gail's book and gleaning all the advice she had to give about writing romance. Gail covered most of the essential elements of a good story: characterization, dialogue, tension, POV, and plotting. She leads the reader through the process of developing the hero and heroine as multi-dimensional, believable characters and escalating their romantic interest throughout the story.

Gail does a thorough job of speaking to the specific elements of a Christian romance verses other genre fiction. She gives excellent information on how to handle delicate subjects without offending the Christian publisher or reader. She explains how to develop the spiritual thread of a story.

Her suggestions and tips are backed up by examples from a wide variety of authors. The exercises at the end of each chapter are thought-provoking and geared to teach the writer how to improve in specific areas.

Gail provided an example of a query/cover letter, short synopsis, a one-page synopsis, and a long synopsis. There may be others out there, but this is the first writing craft book I have read that gives a complete example of all four. This will be most helpful to those who struggle with this integral step in making a sale. She also gives sound advice on publication options, choosing a publisher, and searching for an agent.

Thanks for a great book, Gail!

Product came just as described (discounted b/c of folded corners) and came EXTREMELY quickly! thank you!

I am very happy with this book. I includes everything except the finales, goodbyes, and My Favorite Moment of the Bee (Rona's solos) the piano part is accompaniment and doesn't have the melody in the piano part. It's definitely worth the $21.95!

The songs aren't too difficult to play, and they're all great. I only wish they had included more music from the show!

The music for the funniest musical in years is now available!!! This book contains every song for the show except for the transitions (Goodbyes/Favorite Moments of the Bee/Spelling Rules) and contains more than just solo numbers! This show has music for that is all within range of anybody's voice and can be used for auditioning as well as performing!

Last I checked this book is not available in any store, this is definitely a great Amazon buy for any vocalist and will never be regretted by the buyer!

Although the information above is wrong, (the book is 102 pages) this book is worth far more than the $21.95, they're asking for. True to form, William Finn keeps putting out comprehensive songbooks with exciting arrangements of his music dramas. The lyrics in 25th Annual are a bit more rational than his exercises in stream-of-consciousness poeticism like Falsettos or A New Brain, but Finn continues to be a hilarious, accomplished lyricist. Although I was disappointed at the omission of the reprises and a few finales, overall, I was quite pleased with this book, and I recommend it to auditioners, amateur musical theatre actors, or simply fans of the show.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee spells out one thing for sure: F-U-N.

Great intro to slide guitar. I am an advanced player but have never played slide. I was able to pick up the picking styles and rhythm quickly. The control of the slide and smoothness is the hard part, but fun to learn. Interesting music information and examples that get you going on the right foot. The music audio examples on the CD are very helpful.

I have been playing for over 30 years, this is the best book on Bottleneck blues guitar. It is also alot of fun to play.

Bob Brozman, in addition to being a certified ethnomusicologist and world expert on the National resonator guitar has compiled a mother lode of slide and rhythm techniques in the Country Blues style.Although at his own admission Brozman doesn't "play Robert Johnson like Robert Johnson.." in recordings or live venues he does easily teach the style of Johnson flawlessly in rhythm, phrase and slide technique. In addition he quotes and instructs from the other Country Blues giants..Charlie Patton, Willie Brown as well as including his own trademark licks. The rhythmic instruction included is essential learning for this style. Included CD is excellent in detail and example. A must have for anyone interested in this style

I'm an intermediate player who bought 3 books to learn slide from.
This is the best of the bunch. The book covers a lot of ground but
the basics are here as well. Well spaced info and a good CD to
learn from. Other good books on blues (but not slide per se) are the Kenny Sultan series - they are not as hard as the Grossman and Mann books

I'm a metal guitarist (the real stuff, Maiden, Morbid Angel, Slayer style metal) that dabbles in jazz and fingerstyle.

I've loved Robert Johnson's country style blues forever and this book introduced me to the joys of playing slide guitar in open G in just two days! I can already play enough stuff to sound like I know what I'm doing.

I have only recently began playing the banjo and feel this book has taken me 100% closer to being the well rounded musician I aspire to be. If you are interested in history, music, and the banjo this is where to start!

A controversial but compelling argument concerning the early history and transmission of the banjo and it's music in America from black Africans to white players. One should also investigate opposing views published by individuals like Bob Winans.

Today, there is a greater awareness of the fact that the banjo, so often identified as an American original, is in fact of African descent. Yet, with the exception of Dena Epstein's and Paul Oliver's pioneering research, there's has been little in the way of literature devoted specifically to the subject of the banjo's African and African-American heritage.

Cecelia Conway's AFRICAN BANJO ECHOES IN APPALACHIA fills this frankly embarassing void in banjo literature. Ms. Conway is a folklorist who, back in the 1970s, had done field work in the North Carolina Piedmont documenting some of the last bearers of the centuries-old African-American folk banjo tradition. In the beginning of the book, she introduces us to venerable African-American traditional musicians, whose music predates the blues and jazz, such as Dink Roberts, John Snipes and Joe and Odell Thompson (of all the aforementioned, fiddler Joe Thompson is the only one left to carry on the tradition, which he still does with great vigor and determination). From there, Ms. Conway launches into a fascinating, scholarly exploration of the history and evolution of the banjo.

This leads to the thorny issue of just how the banjo-- now considered, along with the fiddle and mountain dulcimer, to be the quintessential musical manifestation of white Appalachia-- was introduced and absorbed into the folk culture of the European-American communities of the Southern Mountains. Ms. Conway, in true scientific fashion, utilizes the historical record and empiric evidence to boldly challenge the conventional suppositions of her fellow scholars and folklorists, such as Robert Winans, Alan Lomax and Tony Russell, that the banjo entered the remote white southern mountain communities after the Civil War via traveling Minstrel shows and returning veterans. I'll leave you to read the book for Ms. Conway's theory on the subject.

All in all, AFRICAN BANJO ECHOES is well-researched, well-documented and well-written with loads of great illustrations. It would be a worthy addition to any library. I highly recommend it not just to devotees of the banjo and old-time music, but to anyone interested in the evolution of American folk culture and pop music.

i HAD JUST handed in my MFA thesis to be published. I realized library priviledges I had had for 12 years would be gone in a couple weeks, I went to the music section of the FIU library and bumped into this book. I loved it, it loved me. I read it straight through--didnt go to work the next day. I have been studying and playing traditional American music for 40 years, and this is one of the best books on any level I have ever read. Ater talking about picking up the banjo for 40 years, I bought one right after I read this book and have bought another since.

So much of history and opinion about popular music is just congealed prejudice and wishful thinking. This is science and real life. The banjo is an African instrument, the traditional way of playing it is the African way of playing it. Not to speak of the non traditional post WWII guitar influenced Bluegrass way which simply adds as many blue and blues notes into the music as can be found.

What romanced me in this book is her interviews with African American banjo players from North Carolina and Virgina--some of whom have passed on since the book came out. The Photographs in there are great too.

Cece Also made a movie of these guys that was shown back when the book first came out. While it has been out of circulation for years, she will be showing it at the April 7-10 2005 Black Banjo Then and Now Gathering at Appalachian State College in Boone North Carolina.

You see that scene in the library was 6 years and three banjos ago. The book and the recordings and other development have brought many African American artists back to the banjo and back to the roots players that inspired Cece's book. Earlier this year (2004), I launched Black Banjo Then and Now, a group on Yahoo that carried forward where this book leaves off. We gather together Black banjoists from around the country, many scholars of the banjo including Cece, and folks of many types who honor or are interested in the Black legacy of the instrument. You might want to join us.

But back to this book: Buy it, give it to your friends, make sure every library has this book, make sure this book is taught in the schools, This is it!

Cecelia Conway and Scott Odell should be awarded an enormous fellowship from the MacArthur or Guggenheim folks for additional research. This book merits a readership among anyone who so much as owns a "banjer." The accompanying CD (called "Black Banjo Songsters" and available on the Smithsonian/Folkways label) is a bit academic in its notes and its repetition of songs, but hearing the likes of John Snipes and Dink Roberts go to town is thrilling.

You show the composer of this collection, not as the brilliant Stephen Flaherty, but as P.I. Tchaikowsky. Just checking to see if we're paying attention?

I've always been a fan of their musicals and this makes teaching so much easier than trying to find copies of their individual works.

I am a musical theatre student and am performing 2-3 new songs per week. In my quest for music books containing a substantial amount of fantastic music, I struck gold with this one. All of the songs in here have wonderful accompaniment, some simple, some more difficult. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS COLLECTION!!!!

I got this book so I could have sheet music for musical auditions. It's a great book to have if you're a musical performer or simply just a lover of Ahrens and Flaherty's tunes and plays (i.e. Once on This Island). It's a great addition to my theatrical and musical archive.

This is a nice book with selections from Seussical, Anastasia (the animated film), Ragtime, Once on this Island, The Glorious Ones, My Favorite Year, A Man of No Importance, and Lucky Stiff. Songs are All Those Christmas Cliches (no source credited), Alone in the Universe, At the Beginning, Back to Before, Come Down from the Tree, How Lucky You Are, The Human Heart, I Was Here, If the World Were Like the Movies, It's Possible, Journey to the Past, Larger Than Life, Love Who You Love, Make Them Hear You, Mama Will Provide, New Music, Oh the Thinks You Can Think, Once Upon a December, Our Children, Ragtime, Solla Sollew, Streets of Dublin, Times Like This, Waiting for Life, Wheels of a Dream.

Sean Byrnes has everyone fooled. He has found the perfect con and the irony is just too much. Here he is in Arizona, serving as prison psychologist under the name of Dr. Charles McGuire. The real McGuire, the prison psychologist that assured that Sean served out his full sentence, remains undiscovered in the trunk of his car.

The real beauty of the situation is that no one will be even looking for the real McGuire for at least a month. The doctor was starting his sabbatical, taking time off after the death of his wife. This leaves the impostor free to use the good doctor's credit cards and good name to his advantage.

Aka McGuire leads the reader on a merry chase, wondering how, when, and even if this killer is going to be found out and brought to justice. There are so many times when the characters are startled by the odd behavior of this man but write these acts off as stress or grief. Mostly, these individuals just see what they want and ignore anything that could cast doubt on the fine reputation of Dr. Charles McGuire.

This is a must-read for any murder-mystery fan. Ms Entzel's characters are interesting and leave you wanting more. I agree, this is a shoe-in for a series. If you like Grafton, Evanovich, and Cornwell, you'll love this book. Bring on the next one! :)

Reviewed by Patricia E. Reid

Be careful who you trust is a lesson Katherine (Kitt) Logan learns the hard way. In the process, she puts herself in danger as well as her employees and friends.

Kitt's car breaks down on the highway outside of Empalme, Arizona. Eddie stops and gives her a lift into town and introduces her to the local mechanic. Eddie also invites her to the Carlita's Cantina in town for a drink and eventually invites Kitt to stay over in his house until her car repairs are completed. Eddie has a lovely home as well as a ranch outside of town. Eddie advises Kitt not to divulge that she is the warden at the prison in Florence. People in Empalme tend to be suspicious of people in law enforcement.

During Kitt's stay in Empalme she discovers a body in the cemetery while out for an evening's stroll. This particular body does not belong in this cemetery since it is just buried in a shallow grave and covered with a few rocks. Sheriff Martinez is called and an investigation begins to find out the name of the victim.

Kitt's car is repaired and she returns to her home and husband Cord. The first day back at the prison, Kitt discovers that the doctor is having problems due to a lack of a psychiatrist on duty at the prison. A new psychiatrist has been hired but will not be on site for at least another month. Kitt remembers a Dr. McGuire that she met in the Cantina. Dr. McGuire stated that he was staying there briefly to work on some research. Kitt contacts Dr. McGuire and he agrees to work at the prison temporarily until the new doctor is ready to fill the position.

The relief Kitt feels with Dr. McGuire's acceptance is short-lived. Although Dr. McGuire has plenty of experience in prisons, it is as an inmate and not as a doctor. The real doctor McGuire is dead.

I would place this book at the very top of my list of good books read this year. It is a very exciting book and I held my breath to see how the story would end for all involved with aka McGuire.

Armchair Interview says: Top-of-list book is a good recommendation for any mystery lover.

The intrigue and suspense was tempered with wit and humor! I sense a sequel (I hope) as both main characters seem to be just beginning to bloom. I couldn't put it down once I started. I hope Entzel is formulating her next book, I'm anxious for more!

From the first page to the last page, suspense is everywhere. Entzel does a great job weaving a tangled web that isn't illuminated until the end. I couldn't put it down. Never knew what was next. This is a great murder mystery with loads of suspense!

I am not a Science Fiction person. To me Alter Sphere is more of an action/adventure. A real kick ass adventure. I found myself unable to put it down, and didn't untill I finished.

Sandy S.Ayala has humor...adventure...suspense...action...sex all in one cracherjack book. Would make a good TV series or movie.

Megamorphis by Sandy S. Ayala is an adventurous science fiction novel of Sarah and her disintegrating marriage and the fantasy world and mate she consequently creates in her head which transforms into an amazing planetary shelter. Sarah's journey through wonders and psyche, and more, as well as her fateful meeting with an imperfect yet utterly human rescuer, ultimately lead to an amazing destination of wonder and self-realization in this forceful written tale of the power of the mind. Megamorphis is confidently recommended to the community of science fiction enthusiasts as a unique, imaginative, and thoroughly entertaining story from beginning to end.

Being a slow reader and easily distracted, i had to go to Sadona AZ, to get ingrossed in the story.What I like best about this book, however, is that it encourages a love even though you have made a mistake with one Marriage. without ever letting the reader know it is doing so. The wonderful tongue-rolling combination of words, the silly (but not really) images the words evoke, and the simple joy in every Day Dreamer are tailor-made to enchant a Reader and encourage him or her to read more.Sandy has a hit and if this is a spin from her Life she's captured the very essence of a Love-Thriller.

Highly recommended!!

Sandy S. Ayala weaves an unforgettable tale of love, courage, action, and the ability to trust in yourself. This is a science fiction book set in the future.After chemical warfare destroys the world, Sarah sets out with the man of her dreams and an unusual crew on a thrilling adventure. I can't wait for the next book! Young Adult+

In her imaginative, yet realistic style, Sandy blends a fantastic combination of reality and fantasy. Her characters hit close to home with their emotion, imagination, attitudes, and expression. Her blend of fantasy and reality creates a world unlike any written before.

Sandy's writing brings out the best of human perseverance when faced with immeasurable odds. Ms. Ayala paints a fantastic picture of a world born again. With witty dialogue and characters that readers can very much relate to in their mind eye, it's a book readers of all adults young or Old are sure to treasure in their Library. Isaac, or Gene would have liked Her style.

Anyone with a more than passing interest in Orchestral music should try this one. Especially good for young players in school or civic orchestras. It desecribes what everyone's job is, how they play different effects, hangups, foibles, etc...

Tells you why Horns don't like sitting in front of percussion. Why the tympanist won't play other percussion, but the the rest of the kitchen dept is running around playing 3 and four different instruments.

It talks a lot about keys, notes, and has many copies of the score for illustration, but if you don't read music don't despair... your enjoyment should not be diminished.

When to disagree with the conductor...

And describes the curious relations amongst all those infighting violins.

Great book for music lovers, proffessional musicians and composers. Gives you a real insight into the orchestra and individual instruments. Practical and well written. Highly recommended.

This is an elemental resources for all advanced students of composition and conducting.

I doubt if you can really teach orchestration,like composition; for whatever you are doing is simply revisiting in rote formations of what has already been done, and what has already been done, and what already has been done should be heard in its original form anyway. A book that merely speaks and addresses problems is the most virulent, viable route, I think, Give me what's the most resonant parts of the instrument,tell me where that is please! also tell me what is rather dull, what is noise-like, and what "lays" best in what register.Then how do we come to mix timbres? who can tell you that if you have an original vision for your music,if you write music, If you have many friends who play all the instruments of the orchestra that's the best route as well, real live expositions cannot be replaced by a text.Learning orchestration is about someone being there to ask questions on why you did what you did, and why you didn't do it another way! Texts are merely stepping stones anyway, unless you got "axes" to grind as Gunther Schuller.(incorreect tempi)
Seasoned conductor Del Mar at least has other interesting books on Brahms and Beethoven and potpourris of other lesser knowns on the problems of conducting and indirectly exposing the problems that exist within the orchestral repertoire.This is a facet of orchestration often overlooked. Everyone had some problem at some time that needs to be corrected by an experienced conductor. For if you simply play the music exactly as written it would be rather boring,unispired; how does one explain the phenomenon of; take five conductors, each rehearsing the same piece with the same orcehstra, and you will get/render five different conceptions of timbre, gestural differences, rhythm, balance and meaning. So music breathes I guess, and an orcehstration book will only tell you what to put into the right or wrong pegs in the systems of notations. Orchestrations, the orchestra itself is/are becoming reaching a dinosaur status, with commissioning funds drying up; or only reserved to academia-bound prize winners. Especially now since some orchestras are resorting to playing film music,with the film in the back or not; as interesting as that is, the orchestrations of the cinema have a kind of fixed entity, a horizon you can see, and who would rather listen to music for "Forrest Gump"? than brilliant orcehstrators as Stravinsky or Boulez, or Eotvos, Berio or Xenakis, or Sciarrino.Learning to write film music is not learning about the orchestra, for there still needs someone to develop its timbre, otherwise it dies. This is a good book nonethless, Del Mar has marvelous insights into problems with ample examples not overdone/overdetermined as the Berlioz-Strauss.I learned orcehstration simply by looking at the best (those mentioned above) and re-translating that into whatever I thought I could see as my music,my timbre, or conception of sound.

This is a well-written and thought-out text about the modern day symphony orchestra. It provides and analysis of every instrument in the orchestra, it's purposes, the sound it produces, and the possibilities. Norman Del Mar's book is a must for music students and professionals alike.

As John Zorn outlines in his introduction to the book, he assembled this project as a reaction to the lack of insightful critical writing about the generation of adventurous musicians he is a part of. This group of artists and their work is not easily defined, although critics have tried applying ambiguous terms like 'comprovisation,' 'postmodernism,' and 'totalism." Anyone familiar with the output of record labels like Tzadik, Avant, Atavistic, and Knitting Factory will recognize several names among the contributors. Unlike the usual music essay which dissects an artist's recordings, most of these are very informal and intriguing peeks into the thought processes and compositional practices of the musicians themselves. Bill Frisell provides an approach to guitar fingering, Marc Ribot talks about earplugs, Ikue Mori discusses how she works with drum machines, and Bob Ostertag details how he adapted the sounds of a queer riot for string quartet. There's a discussion on plunderphonics with John Oswald, an overview from Elliott Sharp on his group Carbon, and David Mahler expounds his responses to a set of nine questions posed by Pauline Oliveros. The writings range from brief 2 or 3 page entries (Mike Patton's "How We Eat Our Young," Marilyn Crispell's "Elements of Improvisation") to long and elaborate essays (Scott Johnson's "Counterpoint," David Rosenboom's "Propositional Music"). Some of the contributions are more unusual, such as Zorn's "Treatment for a Film in Fifteen Scenes," Fred Frith's notebook extracts, or Peter Garland's journal of his trip to Australia's Northern Territory. All of them provide for inspiring and thought-provoking reading, making this an invaluable book for both fans of these artists and aspiring musicians of the avant garde. An appendix of brief bios for each artist ends the book, along with short lists of recommended listenings.

This is an excellent book, with brilliant music contributors like Marc Ribot, Fred Frith, Mike Patton, Bill Frisell, and many others (mostly Tzadik/John Zorn related musicians) - a must read for the contemporary musician/composer, and for those who listen to and appreciate the music of John Zorn.

Arcana is a book that you will go back to again and again.Whether it is to look at Fred Friths notes on composing and playing ( great fun for Frithophiles deciphering the music involved)or the fingering techniques of Bill Frissel this is a book that inspires the act of making music.All of the contributors have uncovered some real gems and John Zorn has done a great job editing this book.
This is not a how to book by any means, in fact Arcana offers far more than that.This is a what if book, a glimpse rather than a map.
If you are a musician I feel you will find lots of things in this book to inspire, and for music fans we have a history of sorts that I am sure will enrich your listening pleasure.
Highly reccomended.

This collection of essays, notes, scores and proclamations of artistic vision serves as an amazing "manifesto" for the Downtown New York improvised/avant music scene. Edited by Maven John Zorn, the text features contributions from guitarist Bill Frisell and trombonist George Lewis (both of whom, along with Zorn, released the wonderful "News for Lulu" LPs in the late 80's and early 90's) among others. A definite must-have for a fan of this scene, free/avant Jazz, or music in general.

largely this is a oblique promo book for Zorn & Company,and other CD labels Tzadik,Hat Art, RecRec, Avant,Atavista etc., as already noted in other reviews, well the avant-garde gotta survive, some do and some don't.
Some are erased from history,
Most of the contributors here play outta The NYC Big Apple,anyway,although writers were selected from all over.It'll be interesting now to see how the cultural scene in NYC develops in light of the World Trade Bombings,especially the free improvisors.
Zorn's a good editor,however, and books like this bring a sense of solidarity in what remains a asymmetrical culture, with no one knowing what each other does and responds to. The musical world is notorious for this social/cultural fragmentation.
I suppose George Lewis,who doesn't now live in Chicago represents the Midwest since his long time,'lontano' long ago association as a kid with Chicago's own AACM. Well that don't cut it.There are other in Chicago who contribute greatly to the scene as the CUBE Ensemble,and Chicago free improvisors. I guess we should get our own promo book.
Garland,Ochs,Rosenboom represents the West Coast, Yeah I guess!Bill Frisell offered renderings on different guitar fingerings was useful, although quite brief,like something he wrote on the bus on the way to the Gig.Likewise Guy Klucevek,Accordeonist/composer as well added some notes,real music notes,I never read anything he wrote,but again something on timbral poossibilities of the Squeeze Box for composers might have been incredibly useful. and,pianists S.Drury and Marilyn Crispell should of talked more about how they play,they play great!, and varied,I'd like to know in print what excites? them why they choose the music they do?, Yes we all know why they choose it, but a little explanation for us unwashed- dispossessed out here who pluck down our Bucks to buy the stuff would have been helpful, a little.

Larry Orchs of Rova Sax Quartet, gets into it, ya might think its pedantic to give licks, noodles and fragments of it, as he does but its a world of use,I sat down ans played all of it, loved it.
Some get into philosophy and the results are abysmal like David Rosenboom's shibboleths,too much science sometimes is a bad thing, and he's a great contributer to the electronic thinking of music,computer base pieces,But I'd rather read Kristeva,Derrida,Baudrillard,or Habermas on the Public Sphere if I wanted to read philosphy.But there was a practical side to his essay on the idea of propositional music.
A bit more useful was Miya Masaoka "Notes from a Trans-Cultural Diary". Since the real operative term is multi-culturalism not postmodernity, this was infinitely useful to read other persepctives, and means of performing and improvising with non-Western instruments.

The most political here was Pauline Oliveros's Questions answered by David Mahler, on how we all survive??, what our music is suppose to do???, how happy are we with the results??, who listens to our stuff?, all this throws quite directly the political question into the discursive/dialogue mix. Whom do we Serve? I believe Rzewski asked many many years ago.
There's also some neat goin exegetical excursions into the real sound timbre experience as Elliott Sharp's CARBONic History, Hey man whatever floats yer boat.
I know it's easy/facile playing 'Monday Morning Quarterback-Composer', But there was nothing on the Voice,Diamanda Galas,or Anna Homler,or Carol Genetti,should have written,scribbled something for this.
Peter Garland,the man of the Desert, is always interesting to read, another who has the guts of throwing the political question into the mix. Since Mickey Mouse and Bill Gates won the Revolution, he has some great stuff to say.
I think there should be more writing like this,no matter what the price, Again the greatest observations of Oliveros is that the avant-garde should serve itself first, we should all help each other work at each other's music,Yeah Right! Well not in this best of all possible Worlds.But it's a neat profound concept to contemplate
I think Charitable behemoths might loosen up on their tight purses for more writing emanating from improvisors,pianists,thinkers,composers,conceptualists, as those in 'Arcana' here,of course, ya all have to learn how to wryite, not like me,ee,Charitable people like to hold onto the objects they throw bucks at(not their's) than the music they will never hear, nor go to a conceert anyways,Music is toooo much part of the ether,rareified air,and it's all part of the hypocrisy we all live by and with.

Schoenberg's music gets treated at times like no more than a necessary intellectual evil: "Ok! Ok! Tonal centers aren't the only musical expressive form! We get it! Now can we please get back to beautiful life-affirming melodies and harmonies?!?!" The music often gets treated from only a theoretical viewpoint, and many people read about Schoenberg, or worse, read opinions about his music, before really experiencing the music itself. In this sense the music doesn't get a chance to live and breathe on its own without an angorra-thick layer of theory and sometimes obscure and opaque musicology heaped over it. The author of this book states this idea very eloquently in the introduction: "...it is not entirely in a spirit of facetiousness that I have said to friends that I feel perhaps Schoenberg's work deserves a more superficial treatment than it has hitherto received." This theme runs throughout the book, and the reader actually has a chance to get to know Schoenberg's biography and how that biography potentially related to his music without being subjected to stifling theory.

The book as a whole is made up of short chapters some of which contain mostly biography and others of which contain mostly descriptions and reflections on some of Schoenberg's major works (there are chapters completely dedicated to the following works: Verklärte Nacht, Gurre-Lieder, Brettl-Lieder (from Schoenberg's suprising tenure with Berlin cabarets in 1901-1902), Five Pieces For Orchestra, Erwartung, Pierrot Lunaire, Die glückliche Hand, Moses Und Aron, and the String Trio). This book doesn't just cover his music, though. One chapter gets devoted to his very literary treatise on harmony, "Harmonielehre". Another chapter discusses Schoenberg's paintings (some of which Gustave Mahler purchased to help support his financially struggling colleague). Two interesting later chapters deal with his propensity to create games and practical inventions, and even a reflection on being short (a trait that the author confesses to share; Schoenberg himself was under 5'4" which ranks him heightwise beneath Napolean).

Some of the most fascinating biographical episodes involve the audience and critical reactions to Schoenberg's works (at a performance of Pierrot Lunaire an audience member supposedly pointed at Schoenberg and yelled "Shoot him! Shoot him!" other concerts prompted his friends to shield him from projectiles thrown by the audience, or to evacuate him from the theater, and many performances were literally shouted down - the vocalist at the premiere of his Second String Quartet apparently left the stage in tears). An entire chapter also gets dedicated to Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique (often derogatorily subsumed as "overly intellectualist"); a technique he followed in his later works (most notably in "Music for a Film Scene", Op. 34, and the famous Piano Concerto, Op. 42).

Schoenberg also lived through major world events: World War I (in which he took a part) and World War II (which forced him to flee Germany and Austria in the rising tide of 1930s Anti-Semitism; "Ode To Napolean Bonaparte", Op. 41, stands as Schoenberg's musical lashing out at Hitler's tyranny). He also tried to help Jews in europe during Hitler's rise; he took anti-semitism as a given (one could arguably make the depressingly bizarre claim that anti-semitism was almost "fashionable" in the early part of the twentieth-century) and advocated a Jewish homeland.

Schoenberg's skills as a teacher (his most reliable source of income throughout his life) receives notice here, too. His pedogogical style apparently didn't encourage devoteeism. Some of his most famous students included Alban Berg, Anton Webern, and John Cage. All followed their own distinct directions following Schoenberg's instruction.

This book brings Schoenberg to life for those who know little about him. Those who have not heard any of Schoenberg's music should seek it out before reading this book. After all, the message of this book relates to finding meaning through active listening to, not intellectualizing about, the music of Schoenberg. Some passages might get a little thick for those with no musical background. And some contain actual musical notation. Nonetheless, a music theory background is not required to read or even to enjoy this book (though admittedly it would be helpful). The book overall opens up the expressive possibilities of Schoenberg's music to those whose spines curl at the mere mention of his name.

Allen Shawn's book is clearly a labor of love. This is remarkable, given that Schoenberg is notoriously difficult to love! I strongly recommend the book to anyone interested in one of the most influential composers of all time. Shawn is a composer, and presents careful treatments of several major compositions, complete with excerpts from the scores. He includes some fascinating biographical information, but the focus is the music. Schoenberg pioneered "atonal" music in the years right around 1910 parallel to Kandinsky's pioneering abstract painting, and in fact the two were friends and collaborators. Here is an amazing quote from Schoenberg:

"It has never been the purpose and effect of new art to suppress the old, its predecessor, certainly not to destroy it. ... The appearance of the new can far better be compared with the flowering of a tree: it is the natural growth of the tree of life. But if there were trees that had an interest in preventing the flowering, then they would surely call it revolution. And conservatives of winter would fight against each spring. ... Short memory and meager insight suffice to confuse growth with overthrow." (p. 141)

I don't understand musical notation, but when Mr. Shawn goes into detail, his inspiration is transmitted to me, and I want to go hear the work.

Schoenberg is tough, true. But I hope people will read this book and see he was human and passionate.

It's really silly that I haven't had the opportunity to hear one of the greatest composer's music in concert. Will that change?

With more advocates such as Mr. Shawn, I can hope so.

Thank you, Allen Shawn, for putting Arnold Schoenberg in the light that he deserves to be viewed in.

This marvellous book evoked the sense of excitement/bemusement at encountering Schoenberg's music for the first time but also prompted me to investigate works which in the past i'd not given sufficent attention.
Here's a few scattered quotes of what he has to say about 'Die Gluckliche Hand':
'that the representation of the unattainable is embodied in music that is itself dense and tangled is no accident.Although it is beautifully imagined and so headlong in its progress that it seems shorter than it is......yet it is precise in its intricacy,and the orchestration is lush and full of colour' pg.158

The moments of analyis are always free of technical jargon and i like the attention given to Schoenberg's painting as a means of illumination.Altogether a compelling read and well illustrated.

The possible drawbacks are minor:
for my liking,there are too many references to Robert Craft, and i don't understand what Shawn means when he describes Wagner as being earthbound in comparison with early Schoenberg(the prelude to Parsifal being one of the most weightless pieces of music i know).Also,i have a special affection for that most ravishing of choral works 'Friede auf Erden' op.13 so was sad to find no reference to this little gem.

But please,go out and buy this book.It's got just the right tone of voice.Supplement with Rosen's more dense but equally thoughtful book.