(Unlocking the Masters). The life and music of Richard Strauss (1864-1949) span what was arguably the most turbulent period in human history; encompassing the Franco-Prussian War; the unification of Germany; and two world wars. He was one of the very last composers to have started his career in service to the old European aristocracy; but near the end of his life; the continent lay in shambles; and he faced financial ruin even as he remained Germanys greatest living composer. Virtually from the day they were written; Strausss tone poems from the late nineteenth century works such as Don Juan ; Till Eulenspiegel ; Also Sprach Zarathustra ; and Death and Transfiguration have been repertory standards. So have the operas Salome ; Elektra ; and Der Rosenkavalier . And yet a tremendous quantity of very good music; both early and late; has only recently come to the attention of musicians and music lovers alike. This "owners manual;" accompanied by full-length audio tracks; surveys all the major works with orchestra: symphonies; concertos; tone poems; operas; ballets; suites; and songs. Many of them will be new even to listeners familiar with the popular pieces; part of a vast legacy of immaculately crafted; beautiful music that deserves to be rediscovered and treasured.
#2789388 in eBooks 2014-07-21 2014-07-21File Name: B00LZSXMEM
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Mister Chops Takes Center Stage - Buy the Book!By Albert J. MoraI recommend that you buy this book!Paul Shaffer is of my generation and I viscerally connect to everything about him. He grew up in a close family. Me too. His parents loved entertainment and exposed him to an immense variety of high-quality music. Me too. Pauls first love is performing music. Me too. Paul is a cheerful creature who is too busy loving all the groovy things in life to have a bad day. Me too.Ive loved Paul on everything from his Saturday Night Live days up to the last Letterman episode; and Ive enjoyed the forays into movies; sitcoms; benefits; award shows; albums; etc. with which Pauls life has been filled. Ive enjoyed many of Pauls interviews; where he is shown to be quick-witted; extremely articulate; and as happy a creature as youll ever see. Paul takes every opportunity to acknowledge Dave Lettermans immense talent; which shows he gets it; and his generosity. In my case; because Im a musician; the thing I love most about Paul is how he plays keyboards. Paul might never be inducted to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame because he has had very little direct connection to hit songs; but in my opinion he should be. Watch videos of Paul playing and; especially if youre a musician; youll appreciate Pauls encyclopedic knowledge of material and his immense vocabulary of (what we call in the music biz) chops. Paul has as many chops as any cat who ever touched any instrument. In short; Im a huge Paul Shaffer fan.Back to the book. In the book; we see that Paul has led the ultimate charmed life. And in the book we see that the great thing is that he knows it and appreciates it.Thanks for sharing your story Paul!Write another one in a few years!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Strangely InformativeBy JJ MorleyIn as much as Shaffer grew up in Thunder Bay Canada right across the border from my home state of Minnesota; and also being close to the same age and of musical taste and persuasion I thought I knew quite a bit about Shaffers professional career. The book was very informative and really portrayed Shaffer in a mostly positive but strangely nerdy light. One thing that was increasingly obvious is that sometimes its better to be lucky than good. Shaffer has mostly lived a charmed life it would seem and if not for being in the right place at the right time and coming from a wealthy family his story could have been much different. The guy is a geek and the book clearly establishes that fact. Having the backing of a pronounced Jewish networking contingent from Canada; New York; L.A. and other places did not hurt his career any either! He has enjoyed having a very astute manager and truth be known Shaffer is better known in the business for being a better businessman than as a the mostly average professional musician he is. Still it was refreshing to find out he wasnt a real druggie or a flaming alcoholic and is considered a good husband and family man. If you arent really a Shaffer fan I wouldnt bother with the book though. I bought the book used and did not get hurt too bad on it.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Music ManBy Eddie WannabeePaul Shaffer comes across exactly as how I imagined him to be. His caliber as a musician is undisputed; for he has played in so many important dates that he surely deserves the recognition. This book is fun and easy to read; I found myself skipping quite a few pages that really did not have enough interesting value. Apparently Mr. Paul Shaffer is a very happy man; and there is nothing wrong with that. He briefly mentions various names; which is the correct way to say I Know Them!; but really he does not say much besides letting the reader know how incredibly lucky; and respected musician he is. I guess I am so used to hear about chaos in the life of musicians; and with Paul Shaffer that does not happen. Just a clean cut kid that grew up to become a staple in late night television; plus his glory days with Saturday Night Live. There is very little to dislike about his career; and much to admire. Still; the book did not have a lot of oomph; and it became easier and easier to skip to the more pertinent parts; which were far and few in between. I bought it; will pass it to the next interested party; but will not say is outstanding by any stretch of the imagination. Great musician; a little boring on the side. 3.5 Stars.
