American Pioneers: Ives to Cage and Beyond (20th Century Composers)

By Alan Rich

Book Overview

The first book to concentrate on the rebellious trend within American music at the turn of the 20th century. Their pioneering flair was an act of defiance: Americans throwing off the shackles of European tradition and inventing a new language, seeking to redefine what could or could not be embraced by the term 'music'. American Pioneers examines Charles Ives, Henry Cowell, John Cage, Carl Ruggles, Edgard Varèse, Harry Patch, Colin McPhee and Lou Harrison, focusing on the peculiarly American quality of their artistic motivation.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0714831735
• ISBN13: 9780714831732
• Release Date: October 1995
• Publisher: Phaidon Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.8" x 6.1"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Insight into four musical maverics

While not a definitive work on any of the composers featured here, this book quickly gets you where you need to be to get a handle on what makes these musical whackos tick. Good blend of biographical data, quotes, photos and graphics. If you don't want to spend a lot of time flipping pages checking out those who've pushed the musical envelope in the past century, this is a worthwhile read.