The Music of Man

Fülszöveg

The Music of Man
Music, above all the arts, binds us to each other in our common humanity—it delights and stimulates, it soothes and comforts us.
The Music of Man is about those who create, those who perform and those who listen. Straightforward enough for the neophyte, yet providing new insight for the initiated, this remarkable book skillfully traces the evolution of music-making from its primal begin-nings to the present day, both in its historical and social context.
We are taken on a fascinating journey through the discovery of sound, song, harmony and instrumental music in every corner of the globe. We meet the great composers of the past—Beethoven, Bach, Purcell, Schubert, Mozart, Wagner. We relive the legends of our own day—from Presley, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, to Stravinsky, Glen Gould and John Cage. All come to life as music moves from its early beginnings, through its romantic period, to the computerized age of pop-rock and disco.
The Music of Man... Tovább

Fülszöveg

The Music of Man
Music, above all the arts, binds us to each other in our common humanity—it delights and stimulates, it soothes and comforts us.
The Music of Man is about those who create, those who perform and those who listen. Straightforward enough for the neophyte, yet providing new insight for the initiated, this remarkable book skillfully traces the evolution of music-making from its primal begin-nings to the present day, both in its historical and social context.
We are taken on a fascinating journey through the discovery of sound, song, harmony and instrumental music in every corner of the globe. We meet the great composers of the past—Beethoven, Bach, Purcell, Schubert, Mozart, Wagner. We relive the legends of our own day—from Presley, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, to Stravinsky, Glen Gould and John Cage. All come to life as music moves from its early beginnings, through its romantic period, to the computerized age of pop-rock and disco.
The Music of Man derives from an eight-part television series of the same name originated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in cooperation with the Mississippi Educational Television Author-ity and the Ontario Educational Communications Authority.
Yehudi Menuhin astonished the music world when he first appeared on the concert stage at the age of seven. Since then he has become a legend in his own time, not only as a brilliant musician but alsó as a writer, histórián and humanitarian. "Menuhin's radiance is tangible to anyone near him, but alsó to those who crowd the furthest row of a concert hall (he) has made of the music he produces a totál expression and embodiment of being," says George Steiner in his introductory remarks to Menuhin's autobiography Unfinished Journey.
Although few men have been honored as lavishly as Menuhin for their achievements, his wife Diana and his own children still occupy center stage in the life of this remarkable man.
Born in the United States in 1916 of Russian-Jewish parentage, he first faced the critical musical élite of Europe at the age of ten in Paris, and when, at
twelve, he played with Bruno Walter in Berlin. As violin virtuoso and conductor, Menuhin's work has been recorded more than any other artist's of the twentieth century. He has performed on the concert stages of the world, alsó appearing during World War II before servicemen in every Allied operational theater.
Well aware of the problems facing the child prodigy, Mr. Menuhin has founded a school that combines academic education with the best in musical instruction for the gifted young musician. But many of Yehudi Menuhin's interests lie beyond those of violinist, conductor and teacher. In The Music of Man he displays his knowledge and love of this art which he believes forms a universal bond linking all mankind.
Curtis Wheeler Davis has pursued two passions in life—music and television. He successfully com-bined both as principal writer and one of three producers of the CBC television series The Music of Man. Co-author with Yehudi Menuhin of this book based on the series, he has attempted "to inhabit Yehudi Menuhin—his view of music and of the world" to attain a singleness of viewpoint.
In his career as a television producer, Mr. Davis has won three Emmy awards and two Peabody awards; one of each was given in 1969 to the anthology drama series NET Playhouse, for which he was executive producer. From 1965 to 1972 Mr. Davis served as Director of Cultural Programs for National Educational Television.
A freelance producer-writer since 1972, Mr. Davis, who initially received his training as a composer, has served as a consultant to the Metropolitan Opera, the Cable Arts Foundation, the Róbert Wold Company, and various public television stations. In October 1979, he will produce for television the opera A Bayou Legend by William Grant Still, on location in Mississippi.
As an author Mr. Davis is currently researching a biography of the late Leopold Stokowski, which will be published by Methuen in 1982. In 1971 he received an Emmy award for his documentary on the Maestro. He alsó continues to compose and is at work on four new compositions, all featuring string instruments. He is married to the former Julié Patrícia Karras of South Bend, Indiana, and they ha ve two children, James and Melissa. Vissza