Anton von Webern

Description

Anton von Webern’s reputation as the originator of avant-garde music has conspired against a true recognition of one of the twentieth-century’s greatest composer’s.  He was a pupil of Schoenberg and, like his teacher, he came to use the twelve-note method, but combined this with his love of chamber music to create a sound that was entirely his own.  Single-minded and a perfectionist, he created an ouevre of extreme concentration.  In this unique biography, Malcolm Hayes sets Webern’s radical technical advances against the Romantic inheritance of nineteenth-century Austro-Germany, tracing the development of a man and his music.  For those seeking a deeper enjoyment or understanding of Webern’s work, this fluent introduction is essential reading.Malcolm Hayes is a music journalist and specialist on the music of Webern and Schoenberg. He has written extensively for The Times and Daily Telegraph.

“Provides a vital point of access to those seeking a deeper understanding or enjoyment of his music.”—Gramophone

On the 20th Century Composers Series

“As a series, Phaidon’s 20th Century Composers has brought remarkable variety and a welter of information, both necessary and delightfully trivial. Intended both for the general reader and for the more enthusiastically musical.”—The Scotsman