Book Description
“Better than sex!” That's how Ajahn Brahm describes meditation, and his enthusiasm is contagious. A self-described meditation junkie, Brahm, the author of the popular Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?, shares his recipe for bliss in this practical, energizing new book. The Meditator’s Handbook is a complete, stem-to-stern guide to the subject, with precise step-by-step instructions for traversing the stages of practice and overcoming obstacles. Drawing on his working-class roots, Brahm explains difficult concepts clearly and easily, so that beginners understand them, while those who already meditate gain new insight. Full of surprises, delightfully goofy humor, and entertaining stories that inspire, instruct, and illuminate, The Meditator’s Handbook encourages novices and gives a shot in the arm to more experienced practitioners.
Customer Reviews:
Bliss.......2007-08-29
This is a great book for anyone who wants to enhance their practice, or break the ice if you're thinking about trying to meditate.
Disappointing albeit good book: It ignores progressions of later buddhist sects........2007-07-18
REviewer Sean Hoade reviewed this book first stating:
"Tibetan Buddhism is exotic and Zen is aesthetically pleasing, but for the meditation that led the Buddha himself to enlightenment, we must look to the Theravadans."
This statement is, of course, abject non-egalitarian judgementalism that betrays the writer's ignorance of not only the 4 Immeasurables by also the progressive stages of meditation achieved through the years since buddha's birth, enlightenment, and teachings.
Indeed, the wonderful teachings of the Thera communities (which include both "Shravakas" and the forest dweller "Pratekyabuddhists") are all too often undermined by their insistance that they teach the only "pure" meditation traditions. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Mahayana and Vajrayana Traditions have added to the foundational insight meditations that the Thera Vippassana tradtion acts as a foundation. Indeed, like any relative study, meditation practices have matured as have the ideologies of buddhism and dharma/dhamma.
I have two basic problems with this and other presentations to a general public of meditation. #1: there is no quick technique to attain instant bliss. Attaining bliss is a choice. If one makes the decision to attain it, they will seek and obtain training in how to. But, it cannot be gained from a book (as the author is wise enough to relay). But, "bliss" is not enlightenment. It is a state of rest within the chaos of the world which all meditations seek to attain. However, in order to attain realization of mind (aka "enlightenment") one must transcend and cut through first: the desire to attain bliss and second: they must practice meditation that leads well beyond "bliss" itself. Fortunately, the book makes no such claim. But, my point about 'rest' leads me to my second difficulty...
#2: This book, like most Thera explainations of mindfulness, neglects the need to work with meditators where they are - particularly very busy western meditators. Theravadinism stresses Vippassana meditation: Insight/Awareness meditation. One cannot achieve the insight through meditation suggested by this and other books, without first practicing Calm Abiding/Tranquility meditation through its stages successfully. This takes quite a bit of time and practice. If one cannot calm their minds first, then the chaos of thought is mistaken for real insight, or real insight becomes confused with the noise of one's own mind and distractions.
Though I agree and appreciate Ajahn Brahm's experience and expertise, like most Thera explanations of meditation it rushes the student too quickly into advanced meditation techniques. Though I recommend this book, I don't recomend it or most Visppassa oriented 'my first meditation book' to most. I recommend: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Suzuki Roshi, "Joyful Mind: A Practical Guide To Buddhist Meditation" by Susan Piver, "A Guide to Shamatha* Meditation" by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (Not available on Amazon) and "Meditation in Action" and "Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior" by Chogyam Trungpa, "Turning the Mind Into an Ally" by Sakyong Mipham and Pema Chodron (Shamatha means "Calm Abiding" or "Tranquility" in Sanskrit.)
Sincerely, Prosemo
Best book so far.......2007-07-15
I've read quite a few books on meditation, this one made the biggest difference in my daily practice.
Useful manual for meditators interested in the sublime states.......2007-05-08
Ajahn Brahm illuminates (no pun intended) the path leading to the development of Jhana, a topic that is not well-covered in many western Theravada texts. With his characteristic sense of humour, he describes how to use these blissful states as the stepping stones to Nibbana. This will likely be most useful for those who already have a little meditative experience.
Not recommended overall.......2007-03-27
The strength of this book is the fairly clear and straightforward language that the author uses. It demystifies it to a great degree and offers a glimpse of what's ahead to those who pursue meditation far enough.
A few caveats:
1. He is a celibate monk and holds to the idea that arhantship leads to extinguishing sex drive. "All arhants are potently impotent." It's interesting how much celibate meditation teachers emphasize this, while non-celibate ones don't. Joseph Goldstein and Gil Fronsdal are accomplished teachers who have families. I'm always suspicious of celibate people telling non-celibate people anything about sex.
2. I agree with the previous reviewer that this book contains an "absolute tone or attitude towards Buddhist practice and enlightenment." The tone becomes preachy and dogmatic. These attitudes are foreign to me in terms of Buddhism.
3. I also agree with the previous reviewer that the emphasis on remembering past lives is neither necessary nor helpful. He suggests that with meditation a person can scan their memory back into the womb and farther back. Hypnosis is a deep state of concentration in which people invent false memories and believe with all sincerity that they are real. Aside from problems of validity of this, the more important issue is it's relevance. Buddhism is about the present moment. Such an emphasis on looking for past lives is very questionable.
Some excellent alternate recommendations:
Marvin Levine, The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga
Henepola Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English
Henepola Gunaratana, Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness
Gil Fronsdal, The Issue at Hand
Stephen Batchelor, Buddhism Without Beliefs
Book Description
Dewey and the Helpful Doo-its teach children to care. They help their friend Owlie learn to fly again. Proceeds benefit The Christopher Reeve Foundation.
Customer Reviews:
Very Inspirational!!.......2007-02-27
I love reading this book to my nieces and nephews it teaches great principles and also having all the fun of the Dewey character. What an amazing book and story!!!
Awesome Series.......2006-12-28
My son loves this series. He has 4 book in the series. He loves to listen to them in the car. The books are great because they carry a good message with them. I would highly recommend these books! This one is by far his favorite. I don't know if that is because it was his first one or not, but he seems to like this one best. Very Cute book!
One of my son's favorites!.......2005-06-12
We received this book as a gift. I was concerned that it would be too advanced for my 2 year old son, however, from the first time we read it he was engrossed. It teaches him wonderful values using lovable characters that he can relate to - a superb teaching tool!
Mom of 3 loves this book!.......2005-06-05
I am constantly looking for good books for my three young boys. It isn't too difficult to find children's books that are entertaining, but if you're looking for anything beyond that to educate or even inspire your kids, most books fall flat. However, I was totally blown away by "Dewey Doo-it Helps Owlie Fly Again". This book has it all: entertaining characters, beautiful illustrations, an inspirational story, and even a *Bonus Music CD* with some great music. Oh, and to top it all off, a portion of the book's profits go to the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. I highly recommend that you get this book for your kids! My boys love it!
Entertaining and invaluable.......2005-06-04
Wonderful to be able to start children at an early age to see opportunities to help and know they, too, can make a difference. My son four year old has me read this book every night and I am delighted. The music is beautiful and so professional. Thank YOU!
Book Description
The 108 stories in Who Ordered this Truckload of Dung? offer thoughtful commentary on everything from love and commitment to fear and pain. Drawing from his own life experience, as well as traditional Buddhist folk tales, author Ajahn Brahm uses over 30 years of spiritual growth as a monk to spin delightful tales that can be enjoyed in silence or read aloud to friends and family. Featuring titles such as "The Two-Finger Smile" and "The Worm and His Lovely Pile of Dung," these wry and witty stories provide playful, pithy takes on the basic building blocks of everyday like. Suitable for children, adults, and anyone in between, this eloquent volume wraps insight and inspiration inside of a good old yarn.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic!.......2007-06-20
This is a fantastic book, a treasure of short Buddhist tales with the deepest insights. Sometimes, when I don't have the time or the energy to read long discourses on spirituality I just grab this book, open it at random and read a couple of stories. It's and instant spiritual pick-me-up. Ajahn Brahm tells these stories with such a skill that you feel them come alive right before your eyes. I love them.
For a more serious discussion on meditation make sure you check our his other book: "Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond". That one is a true gem of a book too.
Like fables for adults!.......2007-06-17
We're having a lot of fun reading this. Like a book of fables, it's the kind of book you'll read again and the stories might speak to other scenarios currently happening in your life.
Wonderful book!.......2007-05-15
My kids age 7 and 11 ask for this as a bedtime read. good way to impart wisdom without being preachy. The stories speak to adults as well!
Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?.......2007-05-13
I bought this for my husband. He loved it.
I couldn't put it down........2007-05-12
I read this book from cover to cover in a matter of a few days. I couldn't seem to put it down. Ajan Brahm has a unique and humorous way of presenting the simple truths that make up Buddhism.
Customer Reviews:
Not Just for Cat Lovers!.......1998-03-19
An expert story-teller, Lilian Jackson Braun pulls the reader into her Cat Who stories with the finese of Jim Qwilleran's two feline companions Koko and Yum Yum. Each story weaves mystery with deftly portrayed characters and cleverly detailed plots. No cardboard characters or loose ends in these books. Qwilleran is a reporter with a luxuriant mustache that frequently signals him when something peculiar is about to impact those around him. Murder, mystery, lies -- Qwilleran's sidekick Koko is there to help him solve all the riddles. (Yum Yum helps, too, but she often prefers to watch the two males bend their minds to the puzzles while she stalks bright shiny objects or flirts with Qwilleran's guests.) Any Cat Who book is a delight. And, best yet, it's not necessary to read them in order.
KoKo and Yum Yum are the cats meow!.......1998-03-19
Lilian Jackson Braun's mystery series of "The Cat Who..." books are definately the cats meow, and a must read of any cat and mystery lover! This is a compilation of three of the early books from "The Cat Who" series. They are fast reads, the type of books that one can not put down! One thing I like about this series is that they focus on the same group of characters, which lends continuatity from one book to the next.
In "The Cat Who Saw Red" reporter Jim Qwilleran is given an assignment to work on a food column. While working on this assignment, Jim and his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum are surrounded by strange incidents, among them disappearance and murder! KoKo and Yum Yum goes about helping Jim solve the murders.
In "The Cat Who Plays Brahms", Jim Qwilleran and his two Siamese decides to get away from the big city and go to a lake house, belonging to a family friend. This is the book which explains how Jim inherits his fortune.
"The Cat Who Played Post Office" is the first book that actually details the City of Pickax and the various communities in Moose County. Jim is living in the K mansion and soon a murder takes place. KoKo goes right into action, and proceeds to *assist* Jim into solving the murder. I liked it that the continuation of this book was that the characters of Arch and Hixie have followed Qwill to live in Moose County.
By the continuation of characters from one book to the next, I have really found myself looking forward to each new book in this series. I highly recommend this book series!
You'll love Moose County; 400 miles north of everywhere!.......1998-03-17
Don't make the mistake I did by reading The Cat Who Saw Red first. I love these books but although The Cat Who Saw Red got the most press and is listed first inside the cover pages of all the books from the series it gives away too much from the earlier works. Of course, if you aren't like me and enjoy a good series from the beginning they can be picked up at any point and are thoroughly enjoyable each and every one. You'll love sensible Jim Qwilleran who treats his siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, like pampered guests. And why not? They are instrumental in solving mysteries and deciding who can be trusted and who cannot.
Average customer rating:
- My Favorite Cozy Series!
- A regular LJ Braun winner!
- Koko Rides a Moose
- THE BEST BOOK SERRIES EVER
- The best cat detective team ever !
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The Cat Who Played Brahms (Cat Who...)
Lilian Jackson Braun
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The Cat Who Played Post Office (Cat Who...)
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ASIN: 0515090506 |
Download Description
"Is it just a case of summertime blues or a full-blown career crisis? Newspaper reporter Jim Qwilleran isn't sure, but he's hoping a few days in the country will help him sort out his life. With cats Koko and Yum Yum for company, Qwilleran heads for a cabin owned by a longtime family friend, ""Aunt Fanny."" But from the moment he arrives, things turn strange. Eerie footsteps cross the roof at midnight, Local townsfolk become oddly secretive. And then, while fishing, Qwilleran hooks on to a murder mystery. Soon Qwilleran enters into a game of cat and mouse with the killer, while Koko develops a sudden and uncanny fondness for classical music... "
Customer Reviews:
My Favorite Cozy Series!.......2006-07-19
In the 5th book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran aka "Qwill", a newsman for the Daily Fluxion is in a bit of a funk. He had returned to writing for a paper after a several years absence, and has sobered up and adopted two beautiful Siamese cats. After bouncing around with several different assignments at the Daily Fluxion, Qwill is thinking of a change. When his apartment building is sold, and the Press Club is hideously remodeled, Qwill's mind is made up. He decides to take his godmother, Aunt Fanny, up on her offer of spending the summer at her cabin in Moose County. He purchases a car, packs up the cats, and heads 400 miles north of everywhere to live in Pickaxe. Surprises abound when Qwill rolls into town, and nothing seems to go right for him from the beginning. Animals have vandalized the cabin, blue pickups seem to follow Qwill everywhere, and the restaurants offer limp food and watery coffee. Aunt Fanny seems to have her own agenda as well, and even though Qwill loves his eccentric elderly "aunt", he gives her a wide berth while chuckling at her antics. When Qwill hooks a "corpse" on a fishing trip, he immediately reports it to the local authorities, but no one seems to take him seriously. He sees treachery at every turn, and the more that the locals laugh off his suspicions, the more Qwill is determined to figure out what illegal dealings are going on in this interesting town.
This is my favorite cozy mystery series! I had read all of the books in the past, and wanted to read them again for a second time. This time around, I have chosen to listen to them on CD, as I love the voice of George Guidall. I am happily rediscovering how Qwill became a resident of Moose County, and this book will lay the groundwork for the rest of the books to come. For those that have not read the series, I do recommend reading the first several first. Many others can be intermixed, but this book offers good insight as to how Qwill became associated with Moose County. This is a great series by my favorite author!
The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!
A regular LJ Braun winner!.......2006-06-27
Amazing how Braun continues to turn out such good material.
Koko Rides a Moose.......2005-04-22
In this the fifth book of this series, our hero Jim Qwilleran decides that it is time for a short change of pace and that he may just take his "Aunt" Fanny up on her offer of a free lakeside cabin for the summer. Any doubts he has about the move quickly disappear when he finds that the Press Club has been remodeled and that his living quarters have been sold out from under him. There is a little problem with story inconsistency here because Maus Haus is being torn down despite information in the last book that an art center of some sort must be maintained there. Not a big deal but it did draw my attention.
Soon Qwilleran has bought a car and he and his cats are headed to Pickaxe City to visit Aunt Fanny and then on to the cabin which is located in Mooseville. Braun is well known for her colorful characters and as one might imagine Moose County is fertile ground for a good crop of exceptionally colorful characters. Beyond the people, the area in question has a character all of it's own. The restaurants are for the most part awful, most people drive blue pick-up trucks, the local turkey farmer has a BO problem and no one wants to report a crime because they will get someone they know into trouble. There is indeed crime in Moose County but with nobody reporting it the police have to resort to setting up roadblocks to pass the time.
Qwilleran, a confirmed city boy has all kinds of problems while trying to get used to the rural quiet. He buys a cap so he will fit in but he thinks that the septic tank hole is a grave, he picks at poison ivy, and the various animal noises during the night prompt several calls to the sheriff. At one point he tries to impress a visitor by pointing out that they just heard an owl but the visitor corrects him and says it was a dove. An easy mistake that even my country born and raised wife has made.
As out of his element as Qwilleran is, he is still sure that something terribly illegal is going on around him. He pokes around but all he gets is a bad case of poison ivy and he is wary of calling the police since they already think he is about half-nuts. The mystery in this book is a little more subtle than in some of the previous books and the reader will not find the answer, or what the mystery is for that matter until late in the book. Basically the reader is in the same boat as the hero and is not able to quite put his finger on things until once again the cats come to the rescue. Then, even after the first mystery is solved another one appears that has been quietly lurking under everyone's nose for almost half of the book. Neither Qwilleran nor the readers know of this mystery until the mighty Koko provides the answer to the previously unknown question. For once the ever-suspicious reporter is not suspicious enough.
This is another good story by Lilian Jackson Braun that draws the reader in as the narrative proceeds. One isn't drawn in so much by a deep mystery but by the delightful characters to whom one becomes attached. The reader should pay particular attention to this book because it introduces the setting for the rest of the books in the series. Pickaxe City here we come.
THE BEST BOOK SERRIES EVER.......2005-02-18
The Cat Who is the best serries ever full of humor wit and complexity,
James Macentosh Qwilerin is a off beat repoter/Billion air with his 2 cats Koko and Yumyum who are no shorter than extra ordinary.
This is the best book serries I have ever read and would recomend it to any one over 10.
Trevor Oliver
12 Years old
The best cat detective team ever !.......2004-04-30
In "The Cat Who Played Brahms" Qwilleran takes a vacation from the big city and the press. He borrows a cabin from his Aunt Fanny, who is either hard of hearing or just doesn't listen. She lives in a town called Mooseville. Qwilleran buys a car and he and his two cats drive up to the cabin. Things get eerie when he finds something in the local cemetery. Someone did not want him to go to the cemetery even though it is advised in a tourist brochure. When while fishing on a strange boat he catches something unbelievable. Koko finds a secret tape stashed in the cabin and the vacation turns into another wonderful mystery.
I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to all mystery lovers. It kept my interest and I loved the cats. They bring a new meaning to mystery solving. This is the first book in the series that I have read and it will not be the last.
Book Description
Brahms was a master of musical structure, especially in his 4 symphonies. This text presents full orchestral scores of No. 1 in C. Minor, Op. 68; No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73; No. 3 in F Major. Op. 90; and No. 4 in E Minor. Op. 98.
Customer Reviews:
Absolutely Wonderful!.......2005-07-11
Brahms was a genius. This book includes his greatest and most important works, with the notable acception of the student of harmony/orchestration/composition student.
Great Reproduction of a Classic Scores.......2001-10-05
This edition is (inexpensive), detailed, and easy to read. I use these scores for study and rehearsal and I highly reccommend it. Detailed corrections (as well as explanations) from earlier editions were done by Hans Gal.
It is a large score (9 3/8 x 12 1/4 inches)and the is very durable. The pages are thick and the binding allows for the score to lie flat for easy use.
Very good.......2001-03-14
This edition of the Brahms symphonies is relativley cheap for the wealth of material it presents. The music is very easy to follow and is a must for the Brahms fan and serious student or layperson.
Excellent way to study the classics........2000-04-08
Buying the full score of these wonderful symphonies allows you to dig deeper into such wonderful works. I strongly recomend you buy this full score.
Average customer rating:
- ... was it a real love??....
- A richly rewarding read
- Great story about a great composer
- A Magisterial--or Should I Say, Masterly?--Work of Biography
- I only wish there were more analysis on the concertos
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Johannes Brahms: A Biography
Jan Swafford
Manufacturer: Vintage
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ASIN: 0679745823
Release Date: 1999-12-07 |
Amazon.com
The brilliant biographer of a quintessentially American, prototypically modern musician (Charles Ives) proves just as masterful in probing the life and art of a 19th-century German composer. Writing with passionate clarity that perfectly matches the genius of Brahms (1833-97), Jan Swafford traces the emotional wellsprings of this secretive man's music without trivializing art into mere autobiography. A composer himself, Swafford understands and lucidly conveys Brahms's unique position in musical history: beloved by many, emulated by few, the triumphant yet melancholy heir of a tradition coming to an end in his lifetime.
Book Description
A New York Times Notable Book
"This brilliant and magisterial book is a very good bet to...become the definitive study of Johannes Brahms."--The Plain Dealer
Judicious, compassionate, and full of insight into Brahms's human complexity as well as his music, Johannes Brahms is an indispensable biography.
Proclaimed the new messiah of Romanticism by Robert Schumann when he was only twenty, Johannes Brahms dedicated himself to a long and extraordinarily productive career. In this book, Jan Swafford sets out to reveal the little-known Brahms, the boy who grew up in mercantile Hamburg and played piano in beer halls among prostitutes and drunken sailors, the fiercely self-protective man who thwarted future biographers by burning papers, scores and notebooks late in his life. Making unprecedented use of the remaining archival material, Swafford offers richly expanded perspectives on Brahms's youth, on his difficult romantic life--particularly his longstanding relationship with Clara Schumann--and on his professional rivalry with Lizst and Wagner.
"[
Johannes Brahms] will no doubt stand as the definitive work on Brahms, one of the monumental biographies in the entire musical library."--London Weekly Standard
"It is a measure of the accomplishment of Jan Swafford's biography that Brahms's sadness becomes palpable.... [Swafford] manages to construct a full-bodied human being."--The New York Times Book Review
Customer Reviews:
... was it a real love??...........2007-04-18
I wonder how Brahms would have compensated for the defeat to his friend's wife - Clara Schumann. Although lively attention to details was a notable characteristic of the German woman lover, pianist and composer, her indifference to the sentiments of her husband - the German composer Robert Schumann - was so shallow as to miscalculate Robert's perturbation with her lover's apathy.
How could Brahms, having degenerated to low stage, get over the perfidy of such relationship with the woman who was fourteen years his senior (and who also raised seven children)? Such polyandrous practice was not customary in Germany and both lovers must have become impetuous when they, again, met with indecision of purpose.
Was it bigamy? Or sheer adultery? Did it really matter to Brahms who, at least, cared for Clara's husband and his friend's illness? Was Clara prematurely getting old marking her life by irrational thoughts? Or was it the agnostic Brahms believing in nothing?
Brahms gave us medley of music; conscious of the shadow of the dead Robert, Ein Deutsches Requiem {1867/8} is one that represented heavenly masterpiece as if to seek pardon in humble supplications like the sinner who renounces lifelong bad habits when in extremity of pain.
A richly rewarding read.......2006-02-12
What a wonderful biography. Brahms' dealings with Clara Schumann, Joachim, and other friends is studied in fascinating detail through meetings and letters -- an intimate portrait of personal relations, desires and fears, quiet joys and resentments, etc., all as absorbing as a Henry James novel.
Meanwhile, Brahms' incomparable music is a life of its own, and we are treated to the master's views of it, as well as those of contemporaries and the author. The author's assessments seem to me almost unerringly valid. (Take, for example, his lofty praise of Gesang der Parzen, an underheard choral masterwork, or his concession that the Double Concerto, a concert standard, is on a less than inspired level.)
Add to this the author's occasional shift of focus to the Austro-German culture in which Brahms lived, in retrospect an even more remarkable time and place, where music was valued to a rare degree, and where ideas and events -- artistic, philosophical, political -- were poised to take momentous turns. Fascinating, even haunting, stuff, and all the more appropriate for discussion as these were issues about which Brahms had much concern in his later years.
Great story about a great composer.......2005-10-25
This is a great story about a great composer. The book tells his life story, and highlights many of his great works. Within this biography, the book also mentions the interactions, disagreements and perspectives of the different composers of the late 19th century - Liszt, Wagner, Schumann, Bruckner, Mahler and of course Brahms. From that perspective, it is not only a biographry of Brahms but in some ways a history of classical music in that period. In my opinion, Brahms was the best composer of the group, and this book highlights why he was. It focuses on many of his great compositions, even providing the major musical notes for key parts of a composition. For example, in what is arguably his best work, the 4th symphony, this book spends four pages on the last movement of this symphony, a very powerful cantata and chaconne that Brahms brought to the symphony. This form, according to the book, derives from the Baroque period and Bach has a great similar work with the violin. Brahms took it a step further and using the whole capabilities of the symphony orchestra, weaves this concept into a very powerful piece of music. Since reading these four pages, I've developed a greater interest in this movement and in the 4th symphony in total. It is a beautiful powerful work and this book provides a beautiful perspective of this work. The same is true for all of the book. It has given me a better perspective of Brahms and classical music. For this reason, I highly recommend this book.
A Magisterial--or Should I Say, Masterly?--Work of Biography.......2005-10-12
I have never heard a piece of music by composer Jan Swafford, but if he composes as well as he writes, his music should be stimulating indeed. Some reviewers have called this book hard to put down, a page-turner. I found it so. Part of its interest lies in Brahms himself; any book that purports to shed even a bit of light on so enigmatic a figure would cause one to turn pages in hopes of illumination. But I can imagine, too, a very dull book about Brahms. Well, there are few dull pages among the 600+ in Swafford's biography. As is now de rigueur in good modern historical writing, Swafford creates a judicious blend of primary-source material and commentary thereon, along with a rich store of anecdotes told in his own fine, writerly voice.
Musical analysis is treated in such a way that the amateur musician, and even the musically challenged, will not be put off. In all cases, Swafford demonstrates well one of his chief theses--that Brahms was the most Janus-like of the great nineteenth century composers. He looked back all the way to Renaissance masters, assimilating their contrapuntal styles in ways beyond anything that Beethoven, Mendelssohn, or Schumann had done before him. Yet he so thoroughly anticipated the ambiguity of tonality and rhythm in twentieth-century music that Schoenberg could, long after Brahms's death, speak of "Brahms the Progressive."
But there is much more than musical analysis in this book. There is a thorough investigation of the many dualities in Brahms's nature: Brahms the generous, Brahms the curmudgeonly; Brahms the respecter of (intellectual and artistic) women, Brahms the misogynist; Brahms the romantic, Brahms the classicist; Brahms the sentimentalist, Brahms the cynic; Brahms the self-effacing, Brahms the monumentally egotistical. Swafford presents them all in their staggering incompatibility. And while Swafford himself admits that no one can ever quite hope to reconcile all these manifestations or indeed fill in the gaps in a life that the composer himself hoped to keep mostly a closed book, he comes close to making this great study in contrasts that was Brahms into a flesh-and-blood individual whose most mystifying acts seem almost comprehensible because we have seen him in action in similar contexts. By an exhaustive examination of the primary literature and shrewd speculation based thereon, Swafford builds a picture that convinces. He can't make us always like Brahms or even sympathize with him, but we come to understand him better through Swafford's portrait than we ever thought we could. That is some accomplishment.
Beyond this are the passages in which Swafford speaks of musical and indeed cultural history after Brahms. The epilogue to this book, in which the author traces Brahms's paradoxical legacy through the great century of change since his death, should be mandatory reading for all students of culture in the West.
Are there flaws? Yes. Some parts of the book show haste while others show careful crafting. In a work this large, that is to be expected. And Swafford overuses the word "magisterial." This may describe Brahms to a tee, but so, I hope, do a few other adjectives. Small gripes? Small indeed, given the wealth of insight and reading pleasure that Swafford provides here. I'm ready for his biography of Ives!
I only wish there were more analysis on the concertos.......2005-05-07
Mr.Swafford did excellent jobs in dissecting and analyzing major symphonic works without sounding pedantic and dry. However, I wish he had invested more ink on the other major orchestral works such as Piano Concerto no.2 and the Violin Concerto, two of my favorites, like he did Piano Concerto no.1 and the symphonies and variations, etc. On the late concertos he merely described the circumstances surrounding their creation and barely touched on structural analysis.
Other than that, the book is very detailed and enjoyable to read. It sheds a lot of light on the human side of the composer and his friends, and thus makes these historical figures come back to life. At several instances I was so touched by Swafford's writing that I almost shed tears. Reading this book has been an emotional journey for me, and I rank it as my favorite book on music and musicians. Very touching! I love it!
Book Description
This volume reproduces, from the authoritative Breitkopf & Härtel edition, three of Brahms's great orchestral favorites. Editor's commentary in German and English.
Customer Reviews:
3 Works By Brahms.......2003-08-24
This volume contains three orchestral works by Brahms. The Academic Festival Overture, The Tragic Overture, Variations on a Theme By Haydn.
Perhaps not Brahms' best compositions, but interesting nonetheless. The edition is true to Dover's standards. Large format, clear printing, lies flat for easy reading. Recommended!
Book Description
It is now possible to gain competitive advantages based on consolidated R/3 system implementations. One of the most important optimisation aspects is a more consistent process integration in order to bring about fast, secure and cost effective business processes. This approach inevitably leads to Workflow Management and for SAP users to SAP® WebFlow®. This book introduces the topic of Workflow Management, gives an overview of the technical possibilities of SAP® WebFlow® and allows the reader to assess SAP workflow project risks and costs/benefits based on real life examples. Check lists and technical hints not only aid the reader in evaluating potential projects but also in the management of real life workflow project engineering.
Average customer rating:
- Great topic, but know your music theory!
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Crossing Paths: Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms
John Daverio
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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Robert Schumann: Herald of a "New Poetic Age"
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Schumann: The Inner Voices of a Musical Genius
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Clara Schumann: The Artist and the Woman
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The Romantic Generation (The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures)
ASIN: 0195132963 |
Book Description
In Crossing Paths, John Daverio explores the connections between art and life in the works of three giants of musical romanticism. Drawing on contemporary critical theory and a wide variety of nineteenth-century sources, he considers topics including Schubert and Schumann's uncanny ability to evoke memory in music, the supposed cryptographic practices of Schumann and Brahms, and the allure of the Hungarian Gypsy style for Brahms and others in the Schumann circle. The book offers a fresh perspective on the music of these composers, including a comprehensive discussion of the 19th century practice of cryptography, a debunking of the myth that Schumann and Brahms planted codes for "Clara Schumann" throughout their works, and attention to the late works of Schumann not as evidence of the composer's descent into madness but as inspiration for his successors. Daverio portrays the book's three key players as musical storytellers, each in his own way simulating the structure of lived experience in works of art. As an intimate study of three composers that combines cultural history and literary criticism with deep musicological understanding, Crossing Paths is a rich exploration of memory, the re-creation of artistic tradition, and the value of artistic influence.
Customer Reviews:
Great topic, but know your music theory!.......2004-08-30
Crossing Paths deals with the confluence of three of the greatest composers of the nineteenth century, and the influence they had on each other. The interactions are absolutely fascinating. I am a decent amateur pianist and know a moderate amount of music theory. In places, this book went past my level of understanding. Nonetheless, I could glean the broad outlines, and was still able to appreciate the combined influences evident in the music of these three composers. The discussion of whether or not Brahms and Robert Schumann used code in the music to honor Clara was interesting. A lot of time was spent on the musical relationship between Brahms and the Hungarian violinist Joachim--not part of the title, but certainly another important "crossing path". However, if one does not have a pretty solid background in musicology and music theory, I would be somewhat hesitant to recommend the book. If you have such a background, and love Romantic music, you will likely enjoy it very much.
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