Vincent Persichetti - by Andrea Olmstead (Paperback)

About the Book

Vincent Persichetti: Grazioso, Grit, and Gold is the first critical biography of the esteemed American composer, bringing together scholarly work and short contributed essays of prominent performers. Andrea Olmstead weaves a captivating narrative of the composer from his earl...

Book Synopsis

Winner of the 2019 ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for Outstanding Musical Biography

Vincent Persichetti: Grazioso, Grit, and Gold is the first critical biography of this esteemed American composer, bringing together thorough scholarship by Andrea Olmstead and contributions by prominent performers. Olmstead weaves a captivating narrative of the composer from his early life and musical training, starting with his early career in Philadelphia during the 1920s and '30s and through his teaching at Juilliard and death in 1987. The book sheds light on Persichetti's personal and professional life, the multiple forces that shaped his musical development, and his far-reaching influence on the modern American composition scene.

In addition to Olmstead's biographical and analytical treatment of the composer, notable performers bring fresh insights to individual pieces. Among the contributors are C. Matthew Balensuela (solo wind Parables), Geoffrey Burleson (Concerto for Piano, Four Hands, and Piano Quintet), Mirian Conti (Poems and Frog Dance for piano), Andrew Mast (Divertimento for wind ensemble), and Larry Thomas Bell (Harmonium song cycle, Piano Concerto, and Ninth Symphony).

Scholars, performers, and all lovers of Persichetti's music will find Olmstead's book compelling as it enshrines Persichetti's legacy as a composer, teacher, and pianist. Those seeking to perform, teach, or simply enjoy Persichetti's music will find this an invaluable resource.

Review Quotes

"The appearance of this book--the first comprehensive biography of the composer--is an auspicious occasion. . . . [The book] reflects an extensive amount of research, providing a good deal of general background information within which to understand and appreciate the context from which Persichetti emerged; his family history, the musical life of Philadelphia, and the many musicians who played significant roles within his life. . . . Hopefully, Olmstead's book will be a significant contribution to a growing interest in this composer, who is arguably one of the greatest America has produced. - Walter Simmons" --Fanfare Magazine

"Olmstead has been a crucial chronicler of late twentieth century American concert music. In a new biography of Vincent Persichetti, she provides not only an account of the life and times of one of the most important composer-teachers of that time, but above all a stimulus to reconsider and reevaluate his work. Especially welcome is Olmstead's recreation of his vivid personality, the naturalness of his gifts, and his varied and colorful friendships with his colleagues." --John H. Harbison, composer, professor of music, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"This comprehensive biography of Vincent Persichetti, by one of his longtime colleagues at The Juilliard School, admirably serves both the composer's memory and his music. Olmstead's book includes a thorough examination of 167 opus-numbered works by a distinguished composer whose music is now gaining a fairer measure of reevaluation. No one who seeks a clear picture of the history of twentieth-century American concert music, sacred no less than secular, should fail to discover this book" --Mark DeVoto, professor of music, emeritus, Tufts University

"Olmstead's book brings some order to Persichetti's joyful and frenetic life as a composer and artist. She is at here best when she supplies important context and biographical details. . . I also enjoy her no-holds-barred accounts of professional teacher-colleagues. . .I hope that this book will stimulate further interest in his work from performers and scholars---and that I get a chance to make my own contribution." --American Record Guide

About the Author

Andrea Olmstead is the author of six books, including a history of The Juilliard School, four books on composer Roger Sessions, and the e-book Who Was F. Scott Fitzgerald's Daisy?. She has held three fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, four writing fellowships from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and ten visiting scholar residences at the American Academy in Rome. Olmstead has taught music history at The Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory Division, and the graduate program at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.