- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Schirmer Books (15 May 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0028708458
- ISBN-13: 978-0028708454
- Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 16.3 x 3.6 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,889,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Not Poorly Written, but a Hodge Podge Collection
11 Jan 2005
Format:Hardcover
This book features contributions from ten different authors on various aspects of the German Lied (song).
The first chapter considers the writings of Goethe, while other chapters examine songs by Franz Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Hugo Wolf, Mahler, Richard Strauss, and the lesser-known composers of Lieder, as well as a chapter on the song cycle and performance considerations.
I'll talk about the book's positives first. Each chapter is written by an expert who knows what they're writing about, and the scholarship is first rate. I love the numerous excerpts from the score which help illustrate the authors' points. There are also great bibliographies at the end of each chapter, which can be gold to any thorough student of voice.
But here's where the book struggles, and you can probably see this one coming. Schubert wrote over 600 songs. The book's chapter on Schubert songs? A measly 38 pages. The overwhelming majority of songs are left out, and while some songs are given a fair treatment, many are hastily dealt with. In the chapter on Brahms, for instance, the author fails to really discuss what's going on in his Four Serious Songs (arguably the best songs Brahms wrote) and completely ignores "Von ewiger Liebe," another fan favorite. Another thing I didn't like about the book is its use of endnotes instead of footnotes (some readers prefer endnotes, but not me), which I find make it harder for me to follow along.
Writing a book about 19th century German Lieder seems to me like trying to write a book about U.S. Vice Presidents. At first, you're asking yourself if you have enough material for a book. But once you get going, you quickly realize that there's too much information out there, and it's all you can do to touch on each section. To me, this book is a great start for serious voice students, but it's not sufficient enough to be a complete education on the subject. What hurts the book even more is that it's too complicated to make for a good introductory text, either(you should probably be familiar with some Lieder beforehand). The strength of the bibliography and material, however, do make the book somewhat worthwhile.
The first chapter considers the writings of Goethe, while other chapters examine songs by Franz Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Hugo Wolf, Mahler, Richard Strauss, and the lesser-known composers of Lieder, as well as a chapter on the song cycle and performance considerations.
I'll talk about the book's positives first. Each chapter is written by an expert who knows what they're writing about, and the scholarship is first rate. I love the numerous excerpts from the score which help illustrate the authors' points. There are also great bibliographies at the end of each chapter, which can be gold to any thorough student of voice.
But here's where the book struggles, and you can probably see this one coming. Schubert wrote over 600 songs. The book's chapter on Schubert songs? A measly 38 pages. The overwhelming majority of songs are left out, and while some songs are given a fair treatment, many are hastily dealt with. In the chapter on Brahms, for instance, the author fails to really discuss what's going on in his Four Serious Songs (arguably the best songs Brahms wrote) and completely ignores "Von ewiger Liebe," another fan favorite. Another thing I didn't like about the book is its use of endnotes instead of footnotes (some readers prefer endnotes, but not me), which I find make it harder for me to follow along.
Writing a book about 19th century German Lieder seems to me like trying to write a book about U.S. Vice Presidents. At first, you're asking yourself if you have enough material for a book. But once you get going, you quickly realize that there's too much information out there, and it's all you can do to touch on each section. To me, this book is a great start for serious voice students, but it's not sufficient enough to be a complete education on the subject. What hurts the book even more is that it's too complicated to make for a good introductory text, either(you should probably be familiar with some Lieder beforehand). The strength of the bibliography and material, however, do make the book somewhat worthwhile.
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