A groundbreaking collection of essays in feminist music criticism; this book addresses problems of gender and sexuality in repertoires ranging from the early seventeenth century to rock and performance art. ldquo;. . . this is a major book . . . [McClaryrsquo;s] achievement borders on the miraculous.rdquo; The Village Voiceldquo;No one will read these essays without thinking about and hearing music in new and interesting ways. Exciting reading for adventurous students and staid professionals.rdquo; Choiceldquo;Feminine Endings; a provocative lsquo;sexual politicsrsquo; of Western classical or art music; rocks conservative musicology at its core. No review can do justice to the wealth of ideas and possibilities [McClaryrsquo;s] book presents. All music-lovers should read it; and cheer.rdquo; The Womenrsquo;s Review of Books"McClary writes with a racy; vigorous; and consistently entertaining style. . . . What she has to say specifically about the music and the text is sharp; accurate; and telling; she hears what takes place musically with unusual sensitivity."-The New York Review of Books
#2327198 in eBooks 2011-08-18 2011-08-18File Name: B00563M3DI
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A beautifully written. judicious and balanced biography which was obviously ...By DavidBA fascinating and well written biography. but at 800 pages of text the book could have done with some editing.A beautifully written. judicious and balanced biography which was obviously the result of meticulous research and deep knowledge of both Pevsner and architectural history on the part of the author. The first half of the book is about his Jewish childhood in eastern Germany. his marriage and conversion to Christianity. followed by his dismissal from his university post in Leipzig at the hands of the Nazis. arrival in England. internment at the start of World War II and struggle to find an academic post. This is an fascinating story with many insights into how Jewish emigres handled their exile. The second half of the book. whose central theme is the writing of the Buildings of England series is also of interest. but less compelling.I have no problem with long books. and the story of Pevsners life might well merit at least 600 pages. but Harries has too much detail. both in the text and lengthy footnotes. Some of the peripheral accounts of people and events that were not central to Pevsners life could have been omitted.4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Enthralling biographyBy Wayne DynesRecalling Baedeker and Webster. "Pevsner" is an eponym that encapsulates the life work of a major art historian of the 20th century. That work is the multivolume "Buildings of England." The original series of the guides in 46 volumes was published between 1951 and 1975. Sir Nikolaus Pevsner wrote 32 of the books himself and produced ten with collaborators. with a further four of the original series farmed out to others. Eventually the scope of the series expanded to include Scotland. Wales. and Ireland. Now known as the Pevsner Architectural Guides. they are published by the Yale University Press and available individually on .com.Nikolaus Pevsner was born in Leipzig in 1902 to Jewish parents. Trained in the strict canons of art history then prevailing in Germany. he took up an academic post. only to be summarily dismissed by the Nazis in 1933. Since he had some acquaintance with the art of England. he decided to resettle in that country. It was the middle of the Depression and at that time Britain had virtually no tradition of serious art scholarship. He had to find work where he could. first making a name for himself with his studies of design. These culminated in his first popular success. "Pioneers of the Modern Movement" (1936). a short book that established the basic narrative of the origins of the International Style in architecture.By dint of careful study of the language and the culture. Pevsner was able to assimilate perfectly (or almost) into English society. He even acquired the English gift for understatement. remarking at one point that "my scholarship has been described as impeccable. but it I really think that it is very peccable."Nikolaus Pevsner joined two other distinguished emigres from Central Europe. Leslie Howard. the actor. and Lewis Namier. the historian. as people who helped the English define themselves. All the same. his book on the "Englishness of English Art" (1956). originally presented on the BBC as the Reith Lectures. was not a success. Critics said that the methodology was too German. In fact. Pevsner had been influenced by his charismatic but controversial teacher Wilhelm Pinder. a strong proponent of special German qualities in art. Earlier. though. the Bloomsbury writer Roger Fry had written about the distinctive qualities of French art. And contemporary critics like Harold Rosenberg were pushing "American-type painting" (abstract expressionism). So the search for national character in art was a common theme of the period.For neophyte art historians of fifty years ago. eager to explore the deepest profundities of German Kunstgeschichte. Pevsner appeared to be something of a lightweight. He did not seem to belong to the same league as Ernst Gombrich. Erwin Panofsky. and Rudolf Wittkower. for he was concerned with reaching a large public--as they for the most part were not. In fact Pevsner changed the way that several generations viewed buildings: he gave his followers a whole new way of seeing. And as a tenacious advocate of historic preservation. he helped save many fine structures from the wrecking ball. His heritage lives on in Britain--and indeed in the whole Western world.You can read it all in Susie Harries extraordinary volume. where the text exceeds 800 pages. Because Pevsner was interested in so many things--from medieval cathedrals and Georgian country houses to Victorian culture and town planning--the book is continuously enthralling.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great biographyBy Scott WilliamEnjoyed learning abut this man. who before was just a reference. The German Jewish background was fascinating as well as how he could not understand how his family was in danger in Germany. It made me realise how many Germans never understood the exten of the Nazis intentions towards the Jews. His life work with conservation and art history in England was enjoyable as well.
