The French connection

Article Abstract:

Francis Poulenc was perceptive and open-minded enough to recognize fellow composer Olivier Messiaen as an original, even though he must have known that the significant shift in French musical culture represented by Messiaen would not be to his own advantage. In contrast, Messiaen must have seen Poulenc as frivolous and rather a dilettante. Poulenc never gained the same stature as Messiaen, but it cannot be argued that he ceased to evolve after the second world war. Furthermore, his three large post-war sacred works and his opera 'Les Dialogues des Carmelites' anticipated Messiaen's later concerns.

Messiaen, Olivier, Poulenc, Francis

---

Gift to be simple

Article Abstract:

There has been little attention given to the 100th anniversary of the birth of composer and critic Virgil Thomson. His music and writing are often regarded as being rather light-hearted, but in fact he was a man of courage who had very forward-looking ideas about the direction music should take. He was extremely critical of a number of musicians, composers and musical forms, but his writing also showed original insight. He regarded himself mainly as a composer, and wrote a great deal of music.

Music critics, Thomson, Virgil

---

The last of the modern masters

Article Abstract:

Composer Elliott Carter has become well known for his unusual approach to music. He has always sought to portray the real characters of the various instruments, and believes that works should be allowed to evolve freely. His new work, the 20-minute String Quartet No.5, involves fragments of music which give the impression that the various performers are communicating about how the piece should best be performed.

Carter, Elliott

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: The lying game. Birt revolution begins to be dismantled at BBC. How to tame the terrible twos
• Abstracts: The fallacy of parental choice. Ministering to every sport. There's no such thing as the wrong sort of homeless person
• Abstracts: The higher route to a new vocation. The degree's in the post. A question of horses for courses
• Abstracts: The cut-price clingy cossie conflict. Revenge of the old masters. Designers are no longer slaves to fashion, this season they are doing their own thing
• Abstracts: More cartoon than campaign. A Lordly plot to save their place. So, just how loony are they in Walsall?

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.