Composers on Music: Eight Centuries of Writings

By Josiah Fisk

Sam Morgenstern's classic anthology, now thoroughly updated with new selections and commentary reflecting recent music scholarship

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1555532799
• ISBN13: 9781555532796
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Northeastern University Press
• Length: 544 Pages
• Weight: 1.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 9.2"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Excellent Summary of Composers' Thoughts

This book is not an end for the serious music student, but for those who simply want an overview of thoughts on why composers compose, this is the book to get. Even for the serious student, this is a great sourcebook and offers a good start for deeper study on the composers contained within. Also, the book is a fun read. I am a visual artist and wanted information that would explain the reason for classical music. I wanted to see how it would overlap with my studies of visual art aesthetics and history. It doesn't cover that topic deeply, of course, but it does touch on it. The book helped me place what composers were alive during the lives of various visual artists and sometimes the composers made comments about visual artists they knew or admired. This book changed my outlook on classical music as the composers were quite human and unpretentious in their comments. The way they explained their outlooks made listening to their music seem less like a chore or expectation and more like something you do because you like to. Also, you don't have to like all of it to be sophisticated. No composer liked all other composers' music. Music is a much better experience when you don't have to pretend and just like what you like. But, don't be afraid to plunge a little deeper as well. ;-)

wonderful --- intelligent and highly useful, and great fun to read

This is an extremely useful and interesting book, much fun for anyone who is a student or fan of classical music. Fisk's intros and backgrounders are small gems. As for the reviewer below, who carps about it and actually slurs the author to recommend getting the original --- nonsense. I vote with the eminent musicologist Michael Steinberg, who points out on the back cover of this book that an update of Morgenstern's original was greatly needed, and has been done most impressively.

See what the composers themselves have to say!

I love this book! It covers just about every composer you've ever heard of. Filled to the brim with helpful essays. I also love the letters the composers wrote to other people. This book is a great way to get into the composer's mind! Highly recommended. Belongs in the library of every musician as well as the music student/lover! Buy it!