Haydn's 'Farewell' Symphony and the Idea of Classical Style: Through-Composition and Cyclic Integration in his Instrumental Music (Cambridge Studies in Music Theory and Analysis) |
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Author:
James Webster
By Cambridge University Press
Average Customer Rating:  
List Price: $75.00
Our Price: $65.56
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Product Description
This volume offers a new view of Joseph Haydn's instrumental music. It argues that many of Haydn's greatest and most characteristic instrumental works are 'through-composed' in the sense that their several movements are bound together into a cycle. This cyclic integration is articulated, among other ways, by the 'progressive' form of individual movements, structural and gestural links between the movements, and extramusical associations. Central to the study is a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the 'Farewell' Symphony, No. 45 in F sharp minor (1772). The analysis is distinguished by its systematic use of different methods (Toveyan formalism, Schenkerian voice leading, Schoenbergian developing variation) to elucidate the work's overall coherence. The work's unique musical processes, in turn, suggest an interpretation of the entire piece (not merely the famous 'farewell' finale) in terms of the familiar programmatic story of the musicians' wish to leave Castle Eszterhaza. In a book which relates systematically the results of analysis and interpretation, Professor Webster challenges the concept of 'classical style' which, he argues has distorted our understanding of Haydn's development, and he stresses the need for a greater appreciation of Haydn's early music and of his stature as Beethoven's equal.
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An important scholarly book, 2005-08-20
This has become one of the essential texts in understanding music of the Classic Era. Webster is one of the leading scholars of 18th-century music and particularly of Joseph Haydn. It is not for the non-musician, as the analyses are quite extensive, but for those who can follow Webster's work, it is well worth the effort and repays study. I recommend this highly.
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 784.2184
EAN: 9780521612012
ISBN: 0521612012
Label: Cambridge University Press
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 424
Publication Date: 2004-11-11
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Studio: Cambridge University Press |
