Experiencing the Violin Concerto - (Listener's Companion) by Franco Sciannameo (Hardcover)

About the Book

Experiencing the Violin Concerto explores the violin concerto from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" to Bartók and beyond, the social and personal histories of unforgettable virtuosi, the wonderful instruments they played, and the audiences they conquered worldwide. As part of the List...

Book Synopsis

Experiencing the Violin Concerto explores the violin concerto from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" to Bartók and beyond, the social and personal histories of unforgettable virtuosi, the wonderful instruments they played, and the audiences they conquered worldwide. As part of the Listener's Companion series, this volume gives readers an enhanced experience of key works by investigating the environments in which the works were written and first performed as well as the environments in which the works are enjoyed today.

Review Quotes

Published in the 'Listener's Companion' series, which is intended to 'give readers a deeper understanding of pivotal musical genres and ... iconic composers and performers, ' this volume offers historical background and somewhat sentimental, literary-styled stories. On the plus side, the book is comprehensive. All the genres are covered, and major violin composers are well represented. The book's organization is logical, as are the subsections within the chapters. . . .Summing Up: Recommended. . . . .Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; general readers.

Violinist and scholar, Professor Sciannameo invites readers into the world of the violin concerto, tracing its history from The Four Seasons tothe pillars of modernism such as the Berg and Bartók, Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Prokofiev, Szymanowski and Martinu concertos. He also explores the stories of the composers who wrote these celebrated masterpieces, and the virtuosi who performed them. Sciannameo allows the reader to truly experience these fabled works by evoking the era and circumstances surrounding their genesis.

About the Author

Franco Sciannameo is professor and associate dean for Interdisciplinary Initiatives in the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. He is the author of Nino Rota, Federico Fellini and the Making of an Italian Cinematic Folk Opera: Amarcord (2005); Giuseppe Mazzini's Philosophy of Music: Envisioning a Social Opera (1836) (2005); Nino Rota's The Godfather Trilogy (2010), and Phil Trajetta (1777-1854), Patriot, Musician, Immigrant (2010)