About to be published or perhaps already available are two new biographies of composers among my own favorites even if never given much attention by UC participants:
Ernest John Moeran: His Life and Music by Ian Maxwell, &
Nikolay Myaskovsky: A Composer and His Times by Patrick Zuk, -
both issued by Boydell Press in the UK (and not an inexpensive proposition to acquire).
Has anyone here had a look at these, or know where excerpts might be available?
On my level I dread Composer biographies overtaken by musicological technicalities and minutiae, but rather prefer a more personal and historical orientation, where any musical description and analysis is integrated into the story, not the center of focus in its own right. Without a willingness to make potential costly mistakes in regards to these two volumes (whatever my enthusiasm for their subjects), I await reviews from others more impulsive and/or affluent.
Ernest John Moeran: His Life and Music by Ian Maxwell, &
Nikolay Myaskovsky: A Composer and His Times by Patrick Zuk, -
both issued by Boydell Press in the UK (and not an inexpensive proposition to acquire).
Has anyone here had a look at these, or know where excerpts might be available?
On my level I dread Composer biographies overtaken by musicological technicalities and minutiae, but rather prefer a more personal and historical orientation, where any musical description and analysis is integrated into the story, not the center of focus in its own right. Without a willingness to make potential costly mistakes in regards to these two volumes (whatever my enthusiasm for their subjects), I await reviews from others more impulsive and/or affluent.