Recommendations required for classical music/opera books preferably autobiographies

[Stanfordian]

I have some book tokens from Christmas to use and I’m looking for recommendations please for classical music/opera music books preferably autobiographies or even biographies of opera singers, musicians, conductors etc.

[VodkaDilc]

I'm currently enjoying the recent biography of John Ogden - Piano Man by Charles Beauclerk. (Simon and Shuster)

[umslopogaas]

Some selections from my music bookshelf.

The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross (Harper Perennial). A survey of 20th century music.

Anything in Dent's The Master Musician series, I've got the one on Stravinsky by Paul Griffiths.

Wagner's 'Ring' and its Symbols, the Music and the Myth, by Robert Donnington (Faber). An attempt to analyse Wagner's music using "post Jungian" psychology. I'm not sure how seriously Jung is taken these days, but its certainly different.

Orientations by Pierre Boulez (Faber and Faber). Tough going, as I recall.

Conversing with Cage, by John Cage (Omnibus Press). Anything by Cage is worth reading, amazing man.

Shostakovich, a life remembered, by Elizabeth David (Faber and Faber). Exhaustive and very informative.

Testimony, the Memoirs of Dimitri Shostakovich, as related to and edited by Solomon Volkov (Faber and Faber). Highly controversial and liable to cause apoplexy among Shostakovich enthusiasts, but well worth a read, even if much is not true.

I've no idea if any of these are still in print, its been about ten years since I bought any books on music.

[Pulcinella]

Shostakovich, a life remembered, by Elizabeth David (Faber and Faber). Exhaustive and very informative.

Elizabeth Wilson, surely?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shostakovich-Life-Remembered-Elizabeth-Wilson/dp/0571220509

[VodkaDilc]

If Elgar is one of your interests, I would also recommend investigating the complete edition of his correspondence and diaries which is now several years into publication. I subscribe to the series and find the whole set enthralling. Details are here:

http://www.elgar.org/6welcome.htm

[umslopogaas]

Woops, yes, Elizabeth Wilson. Elizabeth David wrote cook books, I think, I must have been thinking about dinner.

[gradus]

I'd recommend Cosima Wagner's diaries which although lengthy are a vivid portrait of life with RW and those that were closest to him. Jerrold Northrop Moore's biography of Elgar is another good read that illuminates the man and the music.

[MrGongGong]

Or the Viz recommended

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/penetrating-wagner's-ring-an-anthology/

This is worth reading IMV

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/draw-a-straight-line-and-follow-it-9780199740208?cc=gb&lang=en&

[LeMartinPecheur]

Shostakovich, a life remembered, by Elizabeth David (Faber and Faber). Exhaustive and very informative.

Testimony, the Memoirs of Dimitri Shostakovich, as related to and edited by Solomon Volkov (Faber and Faber). Highly controversial and liable to cause apoplexy among Shostakovich enthusiasts, but well worth a read, even if much is not true.

The truth or otherwise of Testimony is exhaustively analysed in this very thorough book which treats the issue as a legal trial http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shostakovich...h+reconsidered
The verdict is unequivocally that Testimony is what it claims to be. In arriving at this conclusion the book's painstaking assessment of the evidence builds an impressive and horrifying picture of DS's life and times.
AFAIK 'Testimony-deniers' like Taruskin and Fay haven't seriously grappled with this book's arguments and evidence.

[umslopogaas]

I dont think these arguments will die easily. All I will say at this time is that I have read Testimony and Elizabeth David and all I have for a lot of effort is a view of a master musician living in a nightmare life. If he told a few lies, I wouldnt blame him. Fifteen symphonies and fifteen string quartets are a fairly powerful response.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I dont think these arguments will die easily. All I will say at this time is that I have read Testimony and Elizabeth David and all I have for a lot of effort is a view of a master musician living in a nightmare life. If he told a few lies, I wouldnt blame him. Fifteen symphonies and fifteen string quartets are a fairly powerful response.

Indeed

[Barbirollians]

I dont think these arguments will die easily. All I will say at this time is that I have read Testimony and Elizabeth David and all I have for a lot of effort is a view of a master musician living in a nightmare life. If he told a few lies, I wouldnt blame him. Fifteen symphonies and fifteen string quartets are a fairly powerful response.

Elizabeth David's account of how Shostakovich was able to conjure up a heady brew from limited ingredients is fascinating .

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Wilson

[Barbirollians]

Yes I know - it was a joke hence the culinary reference .

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes I know - it was a joke hence the culinary reference .

<doh> - a good one, too, in the - ahem - sober light of morning

(I'd read umsloppy's repetition of the "David" mistake and passed it over - then the delights of Lagavulin called ... )