Robert Sherlaw Johnsons pioneering work on the music of Olivier Messiaen has become the foundation stone upon which all Messiaen scholarship is based. In it he discusses all Messiaens main works; exploring his musical language; the development of his technique; his individual approach to harmony and rhythm; the theological and symbolic aspects of his music; and his use of birdsong. The appendices include a complete chronological list of works; a bibliography and a list of bird names. Messiaen died in 1992 aged 84. In between the publication of the last edition of this book in 1989 and this final; updated version he composed a further set of masterpieces that are more than a postscript to his compositional oeuvre. This new edition brings the book fully up to date on these and other works and offers additional assessment on Messiaens influence as a composer. Robert Sherlaw Johnson (1932-2000) was a lecturer in music at the University of Oxford and a fellow at Worchester College. He was also a composer and Pianist of note who recorded a number of Messiaens works; including the Catalogue dOiseaux; of which he gave the first complete performance in Britain at Coventry Cathedral in 1973. This edition of his Messiaen study has been updated by Dr Caroline Rae.
#179841 in eBooks 2009-04-18 2009-04-21File Name: B0026UNZC2
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Amazing Book! - Both amazingly inspirational. passionate and at the same time very precise and rationalBy Mindia ChlaidzeThe Book is amazing! for a number of reasons: first of all the great author. Despite some controversy over 1952s affair Kazan remains one of the best American directors ever... Just like another great director Sidney Lumet comments on the book - reading it really feels like having a deep interesting conversation with the author. that alone is one hell of a rare treat for books of this type. It is amazing and very useful how Kazan treats material a play or a screenplay. his amazing quest for certainty and precision. how he breaks the material down to find a basic idea - a spine. and how he explains the importance of finding this spine and how all the rest of the things like acting. lighting and generally everything comes from and should be connected to this "Spine". The other amazingly important bit about the author and this book is that he is very critical first of all to himself. He would sit and watch a show in a theater and think and capture its mistakes and then analyse those and if they lead to him the director he doesnt ignore it on the contrary he goes deeper and draws the exact conclusions why and how this or that mistake has been made and how he should avoid them in the future. He is very rational. adequate and precise but at the same time amazingly passionate. he works with actors knowing each of them amazingly well for what they really are and what they are capable of. In other words he explains and shows the enormous importance of good Casting. I came across this book by watching Francis Ford Coppolas interview where he mentions this book and how the approach of Kazan in treating the material helped him create his big notebook for Godfather. He states that this notebook was so dense and full of important details for each scene that he practically didnt need a script on the set. Coppola uses the same method as Kazan for example for the scene: what the scene is about?. what he wants to express with it?. how to express it the best way? and what are the risks? and etc. this structural approach to the material is very useful both for beginner filmmakers and professionals. Book doesnt have the setups and how to do recipes it has a lot more. It gives the most important ingredient of all on how to find. formulate and then express the general idea. It gives clues on how to find the inspiration and I guess that is much more important than any instructions. This book is amazingly inspirational and passionate and at the same time superbly precise and rational - I guess the unity of these elements underlines most the significance of this book and the significance of the body of work of this great visionary who has influenced a lot of great directors such as Nicholas Ray. Sindey Lumet. Martin Scorcese. Francis Ford Coppola and many more3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Great for film lovers. and filmmakers!By C. SantasRarely has a book on film said so much in so little space. First. it is mostly Kazans voice we hear. Secondly. the book is finely organized. offering editorial comments and questions.letters from Kazan countering with his lively answers to these and elaborating on his views. separate sections as director of stage and film (the book actually comes in two parts).and the most fascinating articles/speeches Kazan ever gave. as. for instance. an address by Kazan delivered ar Wesleyan University in 1973. which covers just about everything about directing under the sun. Kazan is a "no holds barred" commentator of his own work. relating his experiences in life and in film in sometimes scorching language. managing to be entertaing and completely outspoken. There are hidden treasures everywhere about filmmaking that will make the film buff and filmmaker alike salivate with pleasure. Not to forget here a foreward by John Lahr.a Preface by Martin Scorsese. and an illuminating Introduction by Robert Cornfield. which contains the best remarks on "method acting" I have ever seen. All in all. a good read. worth all the pennies you spend on it.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Three StarsBy Mark C Endersgood
