Hindemith

by Ian C. Kemp

Hindemith is one of the leading figures in 20th-century music. his work has been somewhat neglected in recent years, but this critical survey of his music reflects a new revival of interest, and should help to promote an informed appreciation of his achievement. Born in Edinburgh in 1931, Ian Kemp was educated at Felsted School and studied at Cambridge (1951–4). After graduating he joined the editorial staff at Schott (London), where he met and established a lifelong friendship with Michael Tippett. He was successively lecturer and senior lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, university lecturer and fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, professor of music at Leeds University (1977–81) and professor of music at Manchester University (from 1981). He retired in 1991. Kemp's main areas of research are the music of Berlioz, Hindemith, Weill and Tippett. His books include standard monographs on Hindemith and Tippett and he was the author of the articles on Hindemith and Tippett for the first edition of The New Grove Dictionary of Music. His article on Weill's Der Jasager interprets the opera as a model for the instruction of composition students.

Genres: Music

60 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1970

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is extremely short - a mere 59 pages. Kemp provides a brief overview of Hindemith's output and the technical and stylistic features of his work, with occasional peeks at the composer's development. This book works primarily as a nice set of guideposts for what to listen for or pay attention to in Hindemith's music, but the brevity precludes any in-depth analysis of the subject. I also woulds have liked a little more attention to Hindemith's life, as his biography is quite interesting.