Andrew Lloyd Webber: Amazon.ca: Michael Walsh: Books

Product Description

From Amazon

In Andrew Lloyd Webber Michael Walsh offers a detailed biography of the composer of Evita and Cats. He chronicles the triumphs and tragedies of Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind, the film version of Evita, his third marriage, and the financial upheaval at The Really Useful Company, Lloyd Webber's production group. Walsh attempts to hack through the mass of Fleet Street sensationalism and get at what is really happening in the life of this talented, troubled man. The book offers a fascinating mix of musical analysis and keyhole peeping, along with 175 color and black-and-white photographs.

From Publishers Weekly

There is a fairy-tale quality about this biography, for despite persistent negative reviews and accusations of plagiarism, Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose ability to make money may exceed his talent for making music, has risen to the top with Jesus Christ Superstar , Evita , Cats , Starlight Express and Phantom of the Opera. After Phantom he was earning $12 million a year; at the age of 41 he is one of the wealthiest and most successful composers of all time. Walsh, music critic of Time , analyzes the works and their influence on musical theater in England and the United States, and he also takes a close look at the man--his childhood, his marriages and his difficult relationships with associates, particularly lyricist Tim Rice and directors Hal Prince and Trevor Nunn. Written in a bouncy style and illustrated with color photographs from the musicals, the book is as glitzy as Lloyd Webber's shows.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

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4.6 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Candid and Colourful, Nov 9 2003

By

Conan the Librarian (Incognito CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Andrew Lloyd Webber (Hardcover)

Michael Walsh has constructed an elegant portrait of a unique composer. Andrew Lloyd Webber is revealed with warmth, humour and respect, and Walsh maintains an objective detachment throughout the text. His book is replete with fascinating details that chronicle Webber's early life to his stellar position within musical theatre. The prose is neither forced nor facile, and the reader is constantly delighted by an array of colourful anecdotes. One worth citing involved the development of Webber's most successful musical. The following excerpt from Chapter 7 epitomizes both Walsh's style and Webber's genius:

'In 1980, Andrew had an idea for a new musical based on Tim Rice's obsessive loathing of bank managers. It was to be called 'Rats', but when Webber approached Barclays for a loan to finance the project, he was refused. Little wonder. Arnold Schwarzenegger heard of Webber's difficulty, and at a meeting in London, the two discussed Arnold's alternative proposal. He had just read some poems about cats by 'some four-eyed scribbler' he'd never heard of, but because he'd once had one of the 'delicious little critters' in a sweet and sour dish at Grauman's Chinese Restaurant in Hollywood, Arnold offered to bankroll a musical based on the animals. The rest is history.'

Andrew Lloyd Webber has produced a body of work that will entertain audiences for centuries to come. So, too, will Walsh's wonderful book.

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5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL!, July 29 2003

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"bazzywazzy" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Andrew Lloyd Webber (Hardcover)

Okay, so there is very limited published information about Andrew Lloyd Webber, although ther eis plenty about his shows, there is little about the man himself. This is why this book is a great buy.

I find Walsh gets himself into a repeated pattern with each chapter, and the sypnosis of each story becomes very tiresome and the the musical analysis (ie, a key signature and time signature) is not really worth doing. Any five year old can open Lloyd Webbers music and find out the key and time signature. I wanted more detail about the music.

The book I brought was the reprinted one with information about Sunset, Whistle and the movie of Evita, although it was already worth the reprint and these chapters are no where near as enthused or informative as the previous chapters. Very disappointing, but still a great buy and well worth getting.

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4.0 out of 5 stars A must-have book for all fans of Lloyd Webber and his work., Jan 19 2003

By

E. A. Bucchianeri "There is much to discover ... (Europe) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Andrew Lloyd Webber (Hardcover)

This is a must-have for Lloyd Webber fans; it truly is an in-depth account of his life and work. Packed full of information and many photographs, it was an interesting read. It has been claimed that Walsh concentrates too much on the chapter featuring "Phantom of the Opera", but I for one cannot blame him! Walsh has reason to, as he states "Phantom" was the first musical where Lloyd Webber developed his more mature style and a strong sense of key association than in his previous musicals. (He also admits it was after viewing "Phantom" he had the notion to write the book in the first place.)

The only reason why I would not give this book the full five stars is the fact it may be somewhat frustrating to read for musicologists and music students who wish to study Lloyd Webber's style in depth. Walsh tantalizes the reader with only brief excursions into analysis of the music; e.g. very brief descriptions of the keys and rhythms the songs are in, with no printed musical examples on how Lloyd Webber constructs the fabric of his scores.

However, in all, I would certainly recommend this book.

E.A. Bucchianeri, author of "A Compendium of Essays: Purcell, Hogarth and Handel, Beethoven, Liszt, Debussy, and Andrew Lloyd Webber" and "Handel's Path to Covent Garden: A Rocky Journey"

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great info; okay writer....
My first impression of this book was that Michael Walsh must only be a fan of The Phantom of the Opera. Read more

Published on April 27 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars I wouldn`t buy this book bacause....
I rec`d the first Michael Walsh book as a present as I am an ardent fan of ALW. Michael Walsh nit picks at the composer`s genious. Read more

Published on July 30 1999