Christopher Fifield Book order

Focusing on the overlooked contributions to the symphonic genre, Christopher Fifield challenges Carl Dahlhaus's notion of 'dead time' regarding the period between Schumann and Brahms. He explores non-programmatic symphonies from the mid-1820s to mid-1870s, highlighting the significance of various composers who have been unjustly dismissed. This examination reveals the richness and importance of this era in classical music, offering a fresh perspective on symphonic development during a time often considered stagnant.

It was Carl Dahlhaus who coined the phrase ‘dead time’ to describe the state of the symphony between Schumann and Brahms. Christopher Fifield argues that many of the symphonies dismissed by Dahlhaus made worthy contributions to the genre. He looks at the non-programmatic works of the five decades between the mid-1820s and mid-1870s. Composers who lead to Brahms are frequently dismissed as epigones of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Schumann but by investigating their symphonies, Fifield reveals their respective brands of originality and in so doing, shines a light into a half-century of neglected nineteenth century German symphonic music.

Preface -- Book 1 1865-March 1884 -- Book 2 March 1884-March 1895 -- Book 3 March 1895-April 1899 -- Book 4 April 1899-1901 -- Book 5 1902-January 1907 -- Book 6 January 1907-1912 -- Appendix 1 Works conducted by Hans Richter -- Appendix 2 Cities and towns where Richter conducted -- Select Bibliography -- Index

Traces the life and career of Bruch, one of the last German Romantic composers, discusses his education and influences, and looks at his major works

Hans Richter was the first career conductor to gain international fame and respect. During his career, which began in Budapest and ended over forty years later in Manchester, he dominated the musical life of Vienna, London, and Bayreuth, three of the most important musical centers of thenineteenth century. Few composers of the age were untouched by he gave first performances of works by Wagner, Brahms, Elgar, Bruckner, Dvořák, and Tchaikovsky, and assisted the careers of several others, including Sibelius and Bartok. His astonishing energy drove him to travel on punishingschedules--he gave a staggering 4,351 public performances--and he was also an accomplished musician, playing every instrument except the harp.The first major biography of this luminary figure, Fifield's detailed account of his extraordinary conductor illuminates the musical life of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Drawing on a number of previously unpublished letters from a variety of composers and musicians, andfeaturing a Foreword by Sir Georg Solti, 'True Artist and True Friend' provides a rounded portrait of a truly important member of the world of music--the man who established the art and profession of the modern conductor.