The Concerto: A Listener's Guide

by Michael Steinberg

Michael Steinberg's 1996 volume The A Reader's Guide received glowing reviews across America. It was hailed as "wonderfully clear...recommended warmly to music lovers on all levels" ( Washington Post ), "informed and thoughtful" ( Chicago Tribune ), and "composed by a master stylist" ( San Francisco Chronicle ). Seiji Ozawa wrote that "his beautiful and effortless prose speaks from the heart." Michael Tilson Thomas called The Symphony "an essential book for any concertgoer."
Now comes the companion volume-- The A Listener's Guide . In this marvelous book, Steinberg discusses over 120 works, ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach in the 1720s to John Adams in 1994. Readers will find here the heart of the standard repertory, among them Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, eighteen of Mozart's piano concertos, all the concertos of Beethoven and Brahms, and major works by Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Bruch, Dvora'k, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Elgar, Sibelius, Strauss, and Rachmaninoff. The book also provides luminous introductions to the achievement of twentieth-century masters such as Arnold Schoenberg, Be'la Barto'k, Igor Stravinsky, Alban Berg, Paul Hindemith, Sergei Prokofiev, Aaron Copland, and Elliott Carter. Steinberg examines the work of these musical giants with unflagging enthusiasm and bright style. He is a master of capturing the expressive, dramatic, and emotional values of the music and of conveying the historical and personal context in which these
wondrous works were composed. His writing blends impeccable scholarship, deeply felt love of music, and entertaining whimsy.
Here then is a superb journey through one of music's richest and most diverse forms, with Michael Steinberg along as host, guide, and the best of companions.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Reference, Classical Music

528 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Michael Steinberg was an American music critic and musicologist closely associated with the San Francisco Symphony.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your a maestro or a muppet, and enjoy classical music, you will cotton to Michael Steinberg's guide to the Concerto. His vast knowledge is used in a very readable style for music lovers who want to dig a bit deeper into the Concerto.
Mr. Steinberg has written a companion book on the Symphony which is equally as good. Highly Rx.

[Imlac · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Steinberg focuses on the music, he can be very helpful and illuminating. He is clearly an intelligent, educated and cultured listener and writer. Unfortunately, he tends to devote more space - sometimes much more - to biographical and historical detail. This is explained, and I suppose justified, by the origins of these discussions in program notes he wrote for various orchestras over an extended period of time. He therefore caters to the interests of typical concertgoers, which are basically biographical and historical gossip; they're not really interested in getting formal musical instruction.

Much better is The Classical Music Lover's Companion to Orchestral Music, which has a much broader selection and much deeper musical analyses.

[Ad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discussion of important concertos, and happily also some lesser known pieces. Useful for finding new music to listen to.

Also see my website: https://adblankestijn.blogspot.com/20...

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the flyleaf states, Steinberg's book discusses "over 120 works, ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach in the 1720s to John Adams in 1994." The book is organized by composer in alphabetical order. All the usual suspects in the standard repertory are covered, but so are less familiar pieces such as works by Bridge, Perle, Reger and Sessions. It's mostly Piano and Violin Concertos with some Cello Concertos, as you might expect, but there's also Viola Concertos by Hindemith and Walton, Clarinet Concertos by Mozart, Copland and Nielsen, Oboe Concertos by Richard Strauss and Carter, a Flute Concerto by Nielsen, Horn Concertos by Mozart and Richard Strauss, a Trumpet Concerto by Zimmerman and a Concerto for Winds, Percussion and String by Martin. The essays are informative and entertaining and make a great introduction to the concerto form.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been using this as a resource whenever I start learning a new concerto. Much better than resorting to Wikipedia!