Four last songs : aging and creativity in Verdi, Strauss, Messiaen, and Britten
(Book)
Author
Contributors
Hutcheon, Michael, 1945- Author
Published
Chicago ; University of Chicago Press, 2015.
Status
Central - Adult Nonfiction
780.922 HUTCH
1 available
780.922 HUTCH
1 available
Copies
Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Central - Adult Nonfiction | 780.922 HUTCH | Available |
Description
Loading Description...
More Details
Published
Chicago ; University of Chicago Press, 2015.
Format
Book
Physical Desc
vii, 151 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Language
English
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 113-139) and index.
Description
Aging and creativity can seem a particularly fraught relationship for artists, who often face age-related difficulties as their audience's expectations are at a peak. In Four Last Songs, Linda and Michael Hutcheon explore this issue via the late works of some of the world's greatest composers. Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901), Richard Strauss (1864-1949), Olivier Messiaen (1908-92), and Benjamin Britten (1913-76) all wrote operas late in life, pieces that reveal unique responses to the challenges of growing older. Verdi's Falstaff, his only comedic success, combated Richard Wagner's influence by introducing young Italian composers to a new model of national music. Strauss, on the other hand, struggling with personal and political problems in Nazi Germany, composed the self-reflexive Capriccio, a "life review" of opera and his own legacy. Though it exhausted him physically and emotionally, Messiaen at the age of seventy-five finished his only opera, Saint François d'Assise, which marked the pinnacle of his career. Britten, meanwhile, suffering from heart problems, refused surgery until he had completed his masterpiece, Death in Venice. For all four composers, age, far from sapping their creative power, provided impetus for some of their best accomplishments. With its deft treatment of these composers' final years and works, Four Last Songs provides a valuable look at the challenges-and opportunities-that present themselves as artists grow older.
Also in this Series
Checking series information...
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Hutcheon, L., & Hutcheon, M. (2015). Four last songs: aging and creativity in Verdi, Strauss, Messiaen, and Britten . University of Chicago Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Hutcheon, Linda, 1947- and Michael Hutcheon. 2015. Four Last Songs: Aging and Creativity in Verdi, Strauss, Messiaen, and Britten. University of Chicago Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Hutcheon, Linda, 1947- and Michael Hutcheon. Four Last Songs: Aging and Creativity in Verdi, Strauss, Messiaen, and Britten University of Chicago Press, 2015.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Hutcheon, Linda, and Michael Hutcheon. Four Last Songs: Aging and Creativity in Verdi, Strauss, Messiaen, and Britten University of Chicago Press, 2015.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
Staff View
Loading Staff View.