Alan Rawsthorne - (Bio-Bibliographies in Music) Annotated by John C Dressler (Hardcover)

About the Book

Alan Rawsthorne was a British composer, film scorer, music editor, author, and radio talk show presenter. At the heart of his musical contribution was a unique blend of European and English 20th-century techniques which concentrated on instrumental rather than vocal music. While most of this volume is dedicated to Rawsthorne's original musical works, the reader's attention is also drawn to his articles, radio talks, and arrangements of works of other composers. His disposition placed his career in the background of others who were more public; his preference was to write music for its own sake rather than for notoriety and monetary gain. Through the guiding direction of other composers and radio leadership personnel, Rawsthorne created music for the next age as much as for his current time.

This bibliography is comprised of a listing of all known works (completed and uncompleted), premieres and selected other performances (highlighting venues, dates, and performers' names), a discography of both commercially available discs and archival tapes and discs, a 1500-item annotated set of citations of reviews, sections of books, articles and the like regarding the works, Rawsthorne's life and recordings, five appendices (song cycle and multi-section works components, alphabetical works list, Manchester manuscript collection details, chronological works list, works of other composers dedicated to Rawsthorne) and a 25-page index to the book.

Book Synopsis

Alan Rawsthorne was a British composer, film scorer, music editor, author, and radio talk show presenter. At the heart of his musical contribution was a unique blend of European and English 20th-century techniques which concentrated on instrumental rather than vocal music. While most of this volume is dedicated to Rawsthorne's original musical works, the reader's attention is also drawn to his articles, radio talks, and arrangements of works of other composers. His disposition placed his career in the background of others who were more public; his preference was to write music for its own sake rather than for notoriety and monetary gain. Through the guiding direction of other composers and radio leadership personnel, Rawsthorne created music for the next age as much as for his current time.

This bibliography is comprised of a listing of all known works (completed and uncompleted), premieres and selected other performances (highlighting venues, dates, and performers' names), a discography of both commercially available discs and archival tapes and discs, a 1500-item annotated set of citations of reviews, sections of books, articles and the like regarding the works, Rawsthorne's life and recordings, five appendices (song cycle and multi-section works components, alphabetical works list, Manchester manuscript collection details, chronological works list, works of other composers dedicated to Rawsthorne) and a 25-page index to the book.

Review Quotes

"This bio-bibliography provides a much-needed single package of information about Alan Rawsthorne....[t]he timely appearance of this volume proves a worthy tribute for the Rawsthorne centenary. It provides a well-organized single reference source for the composer, the first such work to appear. The bibliography in enhanced by the inclusion of citations to ancillary works that provide a wider context....This book is recommended for academic libraries, and especially for collections with a focus on British or twentieth-century music."-Music Reference Services Quarterly

?This bio-bibliography provides a much-needed single package of information about Alan Rawsthorne....[t]he timely appearance of this volume proves a worthy tribute for the Rawsthorne centenary. It provides a well-organized single reference source for the composer, the first such work to appear. The bibliography in enhanced by the inclusion of citations to ancillary works that provide a wider context....This book is recommended for academic libraries, and especially for collections with a focus on British or twentieth-century music.?-Music Reference Services Quarterly

?Dressler has been particularly diligent in digging into the holdings of several archival repositories that document Rawsthorne's radio work. The book will interest large academic libraries that collect comprehensively, or smaller ones with special interests in mid-20th century British concert music. Recommended. Graduate students; faculty.?-Choice

"Dressler has been particularly diligent in digging into the holdings of several archival repositories that document Rawsthorne's radio work. The book will interest large academic libraries that collect comprehensively, or smaller ones with special interests in mid-20th century British concert music. Recommended. Graduate students; faculty."-Choice

About the Author

JOHN C. DRESSLER is Professor of Music at Murray State University. He is also the author of Gerald Finzi: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood, 1997).