Composers of the Nazi Era: Eight Portraits
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.44 (534 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0195099249 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 416 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-07-30 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Secondary players, such as Thomas Mann, Wilhelm Furtw?ngler, and Joseph Goebbels, make frequent appearances; indeed, the entire socio-politico-musical landscape of post-Weimar Germany is as thoroughly and engagingly chronicled as the achievements of the individual composers. This final book, the logical successor to The Twisted Muse (LJ 1/97), focuses on the works and activities of eight German/Austrian composersAEgk, Hindemith, Weill, Hartmann, Orff, Pfitzner, Schoenberg, and StraussAand their relationships to the people and politics of the Third Reich. . Complexities and contradictions
Michael H. Kater is Distinguished Research Professor of History at the Centre for German and European Studies, York University, Toronto. He has published widely on modern Germany and is a Guggenheim Fellow as well as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Here, historian Michael H. Kater provides a detailed study of the often interrelated careers of eight prominent German composers who lived and worked amid the dictatorship of the Third Reich, or were driven into exile by it: Werner Egk, Paul Hindemith, Kurt Weill, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Carl Orff, Hans Pfitzner, Arnold Schoenberg, and Richard Strauss. How does creativity thrive in the face of fascism? How can a highly artistic individual function professionally in so threatening a climate? Composers of the Nazi Era is the final book in a critically acclaimed trilogy that includes Different Drummers (OUP 1992) and The Twisted Muse (OUP 1997), which won the Wallace K. After chapters discussing the circumstances of each composer individually, Kater concludes with an analysis of the composers' different responses to the Nazi regime and an overview of the sociopolitical background against which they functioned. Kater weighs issues of accommodation and resistance to ask whether these artists corrupted themselves in the service of a criminal regime--and if so, whether this may be discerned from their music. The final chapter also extends the discussion beyond the end of World War II to examine how the composers reacted to the new and fragile democracy in Germany.. Ferguson Prize of the Canadian Historical Association
"Interesting; Interesting; 3.5 Stars This interesting book is a set of essays about the impact of the Nazi regime on the lives of 8 German composers. Kater studies a spectrum of composers from major figures like Schoenberg and Richard Strauss to the now largely forgotten Hans Pfitzner. Each essay contains the necessary biographical background and detailed narrative of each composer's life during the Nazi regime. These essays have a number of interesting features. They show well how the Nazi state intruded itself into many, many aspects of German life. .5 Stars" according to R. Albin. This interesting book is a set of essays about the impact of the Nazi regime on the lives of 8 German composers. Kater studies a spectrum of composers from major figures like Schoenberg and Richard Strauss to the now largely forgotten Hans Pfitzner. Each essay contains the necessary biographical background and detailed narrative of each composer's life during the Nazi regime. These essays have a number of interesting features. They show well how the Nazi state intruded itself into many, many aspects of German life. "Questions? some fascinating data on neglected composers" according to scarecrow. I don't think knowing whether a composer or an artist had deep affiliations with the Nazi regime or the Italian Fascist Party has done anything to clarify what this means today concerning the issues of race and culture,it is fairly inconsequential. Knowing all these deep,dark secrets hasn't hurt in any way the successes of Richard Wagner or Richard Strauss,or Martin Heidegger for that matter. Since the time of the War all have had glorious posthumous careers with entire cadres of devoted writers,scholars,conductor. karengersh said Good information. This is a book with lots of good infromation on the life and times ofcomposers during the Nazi regime. There is also a profile of somelesser known composers who deserve more attention.