Skyscraper Lullaby: The Life and Music of John Alden Carpenter

by Howard Pollack

The first biography of Carpenter, Skyscraper Lullaby balances the composer's complex personal and musical likes. Howard Pollack considers all of Carpenter's works, tracing the evolution of his technique and style. Carpenter studied composition with John Knowles Paine at Harvard and Edward Elgar in Rome, but his greatest influence was the Chicago theorist Bernhard Ziehn, one of the most progressive figures in early twentieth-century music. Carpenter became known for incorporating the contributions of various literal artists in his works.

511 pages, Hardcover

First published December 17, 1994

About the author

Howard Pollack is John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Music at the University of Houston, where he has taught since 1987.