Happy Alchemy: On the Pleasures of Music and the Theatre

by Robertson Davies, Brenda Davies (Editor)

A collection of thirty-three learned, wise, and witty essays, most of them previously unpublished, by the beloved Canadian author takes on such topics as Greek drama and music

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Drama, Theatre, Literature

400 pages, Hardcover

Published July 1, 1998

About the author

William Robertson Davies, CC, FRSC, FRSL (died in Orangeville, Ontario) was a Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor. He was one of Canada's best-known and most popular authors, and one of its most distinguished "men of letters", a term Davies is sometimes said to have detested. Davies was the founding Master of Massey College, a graduate college at the University of Toronto.

Novels:

The Salterton Trilogy
• Tempest-tost (1951)
• Leaven of Malice (1954)
• A Mixture of Frailties (1958)
The Deptford Trilogy
• Fifth Business (1970)
• The Manticore (1972)
• World of Wonders (1975)
The Cornish Trilogy
• The Rebel Angels (1981)
• What's Bred in the Bone (1985)
• The Lyre of Orpheus (1988)
The Toronto Trilogy (Davies' final, incomplete, trilogy)
• Murther and Walking Spirits (1991)
• The Cunning Man (1994)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertso...

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best collections of theatrical essays I've read.

[Michael Joosten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not share the love of theatre that Robertson Davies had; certainly, I do not have it to the extent he did. That isn't necessary to enjoy this book, this collection of essays, because Davies brings his own enjoyment to the table and presents it with not only enthusiasm but erudition and education. His knowledge of the theatre is broad and sinks deeply into a number of related--and unrelated!--matters. In that respect, to read him is to soak up knowledge and in some respects to be connected to the memory of a time and place now seemingly distant but not really so far past.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pleasure to read, not so much because I share Davies' enormous affection for live theatre and opera (I enjoy the former only moderately and the latter hardly at all), but because I enjoy the experience of reading beautiful English prose written by a master about subjects he holds in passionate regard without undue regard for how his views will be received. Davies' pedigree in matters pertaining to literature and the theatre are beyond criticism, and so when he holds forth on the virtues of Shakespeare or the charms of melodrama or the joys of collecting, he does so with an earned authority that allows the reader (well...me, at least) to learn much and overlook whatever is either overstated or perhaps just wrong-headed, and there is little of that in this generous collection. I found his musings on the work of Jung to be an unexpected treat, as was his own rather candid and forthright description of how he practices his own craft. His musings on culture, specifically what a Canadian culture might mean, are intriguing and blunt, though that essay did make me wish he'd lived long enough to have seen Alice Munro win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written essays and speeches about opera and the theater, with some history of those, and a little about the art of writing. Davies is an excellent novelist, and his Deptford Trilogy (three related novels which also stand alone well) will entertain anyone.

The general reader may not fully appreciate Davies's thoughtful commentary, but anyone especially interested in the theater or opera (or who is Canadian as is Davies) should add a star or two.

The trilogy comprises Fifth Business, The Manticore, and World of Wonders.

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of speeches by Davies on the theater, opera and related topics, compiled and introduced by his wife and daughter. Davies was accomplished in many fields of writing: novels, plays, essays and more. It turns out he was an interesting speaker as well. This collection has a number of real gems, but as one might expect, is a bit uneven. It's worth perusing, though; Davies is knowledgeable and entertaining. If you have an interest in the performing arts, give it a try.

[Janet]

No rating because I just couldn't get through it. Bought it years ago and have started several times - presents Davies as an old fuddy duddy. Not my cup of tea.

[Sheri-lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to read more about Davies love of opera and the stage. The timing of my reading the selections on opera were fortuitous as that very week I had tickets to Verdi's Requiem performance by WSO. Fortuitous, indeed. I am not well versed in opera, and I think I have a better appreciation of it (not, by any means, a thorough appreciation...but better).

I enjoyed his libretto and film scenario suggestion as well. Interesting to see how versatile he was.

His humour shines as always, but it is interesting to see it in letters, which are for a very specific audience and therefore more personal. A jokester of high esteem. :)

His commentary on education and culture in 'The Value of a Coherent Notion of Culture' strikes a chord in me and makes me want to withdraw my kids from the public school system and home school them...until I realize how I am a product of the public school system and would not fare much better. Sigh.

'How to Write a Book' reaffirms why I enjoy the way Davies writes. This statement on his revision process sums it up for me:
This does not mean substituting fancy words for common ones. More often it means substituting plain but strong words for flabby ones. It means giving every line of dialogue, so far as possible, the right flavour for whoever is speaking, and making the words spoken give the clue to how they are spoken, so that it is not necessary to fall back on nonsense like, "'Do you love me?' she wailed, clenching her hand still the nails drew blood from the flesh."

And I agree with his statement:
"I am old-fashioned enough to think that a book is a work of art. That is to say, the unique result of a unique temperament. Many are not, but that is what a real writer wishes to produce."

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant collection of essays and other writings, some autobiographical, by Davies on the theater and its joys. Anyone who loves the theater either as a participant or an audience member will enjoy reading this lovely book. If you are a fan of Davies' fiction and non-fiction, you'll enjoy reading his thoughts and stories about life in theater.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of essays and speeches focuses on theater and music with topics ranging from the Greeks to opera, from Dickens and music to folk songs, from Hamlet to Jung to book collecting. Reading this book is as entertaining and enlightening as sitting by the fireplace listening to a great raconteur and writer talking about his ideas and experiences.