Paul R. Laird Books

Not a history or encyclopaedia of the Britpop era but a celebration of one of the most exciting times in British pop music history.

The musicals playing in 1924 were a stunning combination of the old and the new. William Everett reveals, in this compelling new book, a transnational network of stars, creators, producers and shows where established performers appeared alongside youthful talent that included George Gershwin, Gertrude Lawrence, and Fred and Adele Astaire.

This Element compares the adaptations of the 1996 and 2018 versions of West Side Story in detail, illuminating issues encountered when translating a musical for another culture. This Element concludes with the Spanish reception of the 2021 film by Steven Spielberg.

Leonard Bernstein was one of twentieth-century music’s most successful and recognizable figures. In a career spanning five decades, he conducted many of the world’s leading orchestras and composed scores for landmark musicals such as <i>West Side Story</i>. With an iron self-belief, he negotiated risky and challenging musical situations that resulted in always passionate, if sometimes mixed, reviews. Published to coincide with the hundredth anniversary of Bernstein’s birth, this engaging new biography provides a concise overview of the life and work of a prodigiously talented, endlessly enthralling, and controversial musician. Drawing on more than thirty years of study, leading Bernstein scholar Paul R. Laird describes Bernstein’s work as a conductor, composer, music educator, and commentator, evaluating all of his major compositions. Laird also explores the impact of Bernstein’s complicated personal life on his professional work, including his homosexuality and many affairs with men, and his strong yet difficult marriage. Featuring original insights into Bernstein’s life and work, including information gleaned from a 1982 interview with Bernstein, Laird’s book is the ideal introduction to Bernstein’s eclectic musical style and complex character, showing how both fit within the larger world of twentieth-century music.