Maurice Ravel's operas L'Heure espagnole (1907/1911) and L'Enfant et les sortilèges (1919–25) are pivotal works in the composer's relatively small œuvre. Emerging from periods shaped by very distinct musical concerns and historical circumstances, these two vastly different works nevertheless share qualities that reveal the heart of Ravel's compositional aesthetic. In this comprehensive study, Emily Kilpatrick unites musical, literary, biographical and cultural perspectives to shed new light on Ravel's operas. In documenting the operas' history, setting them within the cultural canvas of their creation and pursuing diverse strands of analytical and thematic exploration, Kilpatrick reveals crucial aspects of the composer's working life: his approach to creative collaboration, his responsiveness to cultural, aesthetic and musical debate, and the centrality of language and literature in his compositional practice. The first study of its kind, this book is an invaluable resource for students, specialists, opera-goers and devotees of French music.

Much of the music of Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) is among the most accessible of any written in the last hundred years; the man, however, was notoriously difficult to get to know. In Maurice Ravel, Gerald Larner aims to trace the development of the composer's personality not only through events in his life and in the society around him but also through his music, which is more revealing in this respect than is generally believed. This beautifully crafted book offers many fresh insights into the life and work of this enigmatic composer.

The standard Ravel biography by the world's foremost authority — brilliantly detailed and documented, filled with quotations from letters, interviews with the composer's friends, an illuminating analysis of each of his works, a study of his musical esthetics and language, a complete catalog of his works, and a discography. "Highly recommended" — Choice. Includes 48 illustrations.

This is a work on 175 operas by 63 different composers. The selected operas are those most frequently encountered in opera houses or on recordings. Each entry will set the opera within the context of its composer's career, outline the plot, discuss the music and give relevant background information on the provenance of the libretto, for example. Details of the first performance, and subsequent performance history will be given, as well as guidance on the relative quality of available recordings. The Yale Companion to Opera targets the regular opera-goer and the committed newcomer, rather than the academic specialist or the oneoff attender. It is not an encyclopaedia, covering every known opera, but only those with a realistic chance of public performance. It is equally concerned with the music, the plot, the libretto and the staging, and seeks to enhance the appreciation of the intelligent opera-goer.

A comprehensive introduction to the life, music and compositional aesthetic of Maurice Ravel.

The contemporary music scene thus embodies a uniquely broad spectrum of activity, which has grown and changed down to the present hour. With new talents emerging and different technologies developing as we move further into the 21st century, no one can predict what paths music will take next. All we can be certain of is that the inspiration and originality that make music live will continue to bring awe, delight, fascination, and beauty to the people who listen to it. This book cover modernist and postmodern concert music worldwide from the years 1888 to 2018. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Classical Music contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on the most important composers, musicians, methods, styles, and media in modernist and postmodern classical music worldwide, from 1888 to 2018. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about modern and contemporary classical music.

DIVStudy of how systems of power and domination have shaped representations of otherness in music./div