The Robert Shaw Reader by Robert Blocker

by Robert Blocker

"Robert Shaw is considered to be the most influential choral conductor in American history. This is the first collection of his letters and notes about music ever published." The letters are a mix of music history and analysis, philosophy, inspiration, and practical advice. Shaw examines technique, but only as a means to an end - he moves beyond that, delving into the essence of what music is and what it has to say to us. The heart of the book is composed of Shaw's previously unpublished notes on fifteen major choral works, ranging from Bach's B Minor Mass to Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms.

Genres: Music, Essays, Biography

Hardcover

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

At 455 pages of text, this is a healthy compendium of essays, letters, speeches, and poems by surely the most famous American choral conductor of the twentieth century. Shaw was known for the technical finesse he inculcated into the ensembles he led. What this anthology suggests to this reviewer is that, ultimately, it was his consummate and singularly perceptive musicianship that set him apart from the many. Among the essays are well-developed, Tovey-like analyses of the Beethoven Missa Solemnis and the Berlioz Requiem. These are only practical to follow score-in-hand and yet (as with Tovey) are a good way of enhancing one’s acquaintance with these cornerstones of the choral repertoire. Among the lectures, those delivered at the Harvard Memorial Church in 1981 provide impressive evidence of Shaw’s sheer earnestness of thought and ability to go far beyond the surface in the fields of music and religion. Also of interest are Shaw’s efforts in light poetry, in some ways reminiscent of Ogden Nash. These foreground his adroitness with language and give further testimony to his acuity and wit. This collection, then, will provide the reader with a well-rounded introduction to the thought and career of this remarkable musician. Thanks, finally, must go to editor Robert Blocker and Yale University Press for organizing these writings by genre and making them accessible to the reading public.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shaw is my most-quoted conductor. This is a wonderful book.