The musical landscape of New York City and the United States of America would look quite different had it not been for William Schuman. Orpheus in Manhattan, a fully objective and comprehensive biography of Schuman, portrays a man who had a profound influence upon the artistic and political institutions of his day and beyond. Steve Swayne draws heavily upon Schuman's letters, writings, and manuscripts as well as unprecedented access to archival recordings and previously unknown correspondence. The winner of the first Pulitzer Prize in Music, Schuman composed music that is rhythmically febrile, harmonically pungent, melodically long-breathed, and timbrally brilliant, and Swayne offers an astute analysis of his work, including many unpublished music scores. Swayne also describes Schuman's role as president of the Juilliard School of Music and of Lincoln Center, tracing how he both expanded the boundaries of music education and championed the performing arts. Filled with new discoveries and revisions of the received historical narrative, Orpheus in Manhattan confirms Schuman as a major figure in America's musical life.
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Review
"Pianist and composer Swayne... devotes equal space to a thorough analysis of Schuman's work as a composer and to discussing his considerable influence on the educational and artistic institutions of his day and beyond... Swayne's work reflects on the cultural, social, and political achievements of a musical giant. For scholars of Schuman and American music and aficionados of both." --Library Journal
"This author clearly likes people and clearly he has charmed many into helping make this hugely detailed book a brilliant success... Strongly recommended." --James Tobin, Classical Net
"Even if Schuman, no Orpheus, shaped American musical life more as administrator than creator, the present book is a fascinating study in power plays in the higher spheres of America's arts world." --Benjamin Ivry, Newark Star-Ledger
"Swayne has pursued his research with a voracious diligence."
--Walter Simmons, Fanfare
"An objective, detailed account illustrating Schuman's roles as composer, administrator, husband, father, and friend...A well written, well documented, and totally thorough biographical work." --Notes
"Brilliantly penetrates through to the tough soul of America's symphonist and is documented with 100 pages of notes and a bibliography." --Gramophone
"Swayne's Orpheus in Manhattan is a triumph of archival research, and a testament to the length of William Schuman's reach across the century. It is well worth a reader's time following him there." --Journal of the American Musicological Society
About the Author
Steve Swayne is Associate Professor of Music at Dartmouth College. He is also an accomplished concert pianist and an award-winning composer.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
a tour de force
July 12 2011
By Erica Ford
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
This is Steve Swayne's best book by far, and it is an absolute delight to read. If you do buy it, get the Kindle version. The hardcover book is thick and bulky to carry around. The Kindle version will not only let you consult the footnotes faster, but also you'll be able to lookup the meaning of words you don't know faster. Swayne uses many words not found in everyday conversation, such as niggardly, encomia, dyspeptic, summa, extant, obdurate, assiduously, ostinato, peripatetic, lithe, coeval, iconoclast, rawboned, distended, effusive, acclamation, passacaglia, lugubrious, Cantata, peroration, admixture, requiescat, quatrain, and magnanimous. If you don't know the meaning of all of these words, having the Kindle will help.
The book answers key questions about William Schuman's life:
1. Who is William Schuman and what was his contribution to American music in the 20th century?
2. Why is William Schuman so important to the field of American music?
3. Who did William Schuman marry and why? Why did William Schuman fall in love with Frankie?
4. How did William Schuman become President of Julliard?
5. What was William Schuman's involvement with the Lincoln Center?
6. Where did William Schuman go to school and did he grow up rich or poor?
7. How much money did William Schuman make?
8. What kind of family did Frankie, Schuman's wife, come from?
9. What was William Schuman's relationship with Copland and Bernstein?
10. What did Copland and Bernstein think of William Schuman?
11. Where was William Schuman born?
12. How did William Schuman get his commissions to write music?
13. How many hours did William Schuman spend writing music?
14. Who did William Schuman clash with and why?
Swayne does a good job of making sure the reader's questions about Schuman's life are answered and much more. Dr. Steve Swayne tells the story of Schuman's life in an interesting and engaging way.
I have read many biographies and this is by far one of the better written biographies out there. The level of detail, combined with the level of research, is impressive. Steve Swayne does a great job entertaining us with Schuman's life while educating us about all the major issues Schuman had to deal with in his life. I'm very impressed by Swayne's writing style. Usually an autobiography is self serving in some respects, but because this wasn't an autobiography, but written from a diligent and thoughtful researcher, the reader gets an objective account of Schuman's life. The book was not written to become the NYT's runaway bestseller -- if there are titillating stories, it's because those stories were true. If there is absence of drama, it's because the story is told objectively, not sensationally.
The book offers a lot in the way of giving us an insider's account of how Schuman rose to prominence. It will be the "go to" reference book on Schuman for decades to come.
Schuman's early years were formative in how he became so great. Who his early friends were in the Tin Pan Alley Years, the experiences he had growing up that caused him to go into music, and his Carnegie Hall experiences all played a role in him becoming who he is remembered for.
The book answers key questions about William Schuman's life:
1. Who is William Schuman and what was his contribution to American music in the 20th century?
2. Why is William Schuman so important to the field of American music?
3. Who did William Schuman marry and why? Why did William Schuman fall in love with Frankie?
4. How did William Schuman become President of Julliard?
5. What was William Schuman's involvement with the Lincoln Center?
6. Where did William Schuman go to school and did he grow up rich or poor?
7. How much money did William Schuman make?
8. What kind of family did Frankie, Schuman's wife, come from?
9. What was William Schuman's relationship with Copland and Bernstein?
10. What did Copland and Bernstein think of William Schuman?
11. Where was William Schuman born?
12. How did William Schuman get his commissions to write music?
13. How many hours did William Schuman spend writing music?
14. Who did William Schuman clash with and why?
Swayne does a good job of making sure the reader's questions about Schuman's life are answered and much more. Dr. Steve Swayne tells the story of Schuman's life in an interesting and engaging way.
I have read many biographies and this is by far one of the better written biographies out there. The level of detail, combined with the level of research, is impressive. Steve Swayne does a great job entertaining us with Schuman's life while educating us about all the major issues Schuman had to deal with in his life. I'm very impressed by Swayne's writing style. Usually an autobiography is self serving in some respects, but because this wasn't an autobiography, but written from a diligent and thoughtful researcher, the reader gets an objective account of Schuman's life. The book was not written to become the NYT's runaway bestseller -- if there are titillating stories, it's because those stories were true. If there is absence of drama, it's because the story is told objectively, not sensationally.
The book offers a lot in the way of giving us an insider's account of how Schuman rose to prominence. It will be the "go to" reference book on Schuman for decades to come.
Schuman's early years were formative in how he became so great. Who his early friends were in the Tin Pan Alley Years, the experiences he had growing up that caused him to go into music, and his Carnegie Hall experiences all played a role in him becoming who he is remembered for.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
a biography of the first order
July 21 2011
By C. Welch
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I couldn't put this book down!
Reading this book reminds me of reading David McCullough's Truman, Robert Caro's biography on Robert Moses, Taylor Branch's book on King, or Heyman's book on Samuel Barber. The quality of the book, the attention to detail, and the thoroughness of the research combined with the detailed citations makes this an indispensable reference on Schuman. It is not often that one encounters a biography that is a page turner. It is even more rare to encounter a biography that is accurate and objective and still a page turner. Most biographies have an ax-to-grind and are geared towards sales, while others are completely objective but dull and dry. This book manages to be interesting and objective at the same time.
If you enjoy going to concerts at Lincoln Center or are amazed by the musicians at Juillliard, you need to read this book to understand the impact that William Schuman had on these institutions and the music world. If you are an aspiring composer, you must read this book to understand how Schuman succeeded where others failed.
A Pulitzer Prize winning composer deserves a biography that merits a Pulitzer Prize. I think this book is of that quality.
Reading this book reminds me of reading David McCullough's Truman, Robert Caro's biography on Robert Moses, Taylor Branch's book on King, or Heyman's book on Samuel Barber. The quality of the book, the attention to detail, and the thoroughness of the research combined with the detailed citations makes this an indispensable reference on Schuman. It is not often that one encounters a biography that is a page turner. It is even more rare to encounter a biography that is accurate and objective and still a page turner. Most biographies have an ax-to-grind and are geared towards sales, while others are completely objective but dull and dry. This book manages to be interesting and objective at the same time.
If you enjoy going to concerts at Lincoln Center or are amazed by the musicians at Juillliard, you need to read this book to understand the impact that William Schuman had on these institutions and the music world. If you are an aspiring composer, you must read this book to understand how Schuman succeeded where others failed.
A Pulitzer Prize winning composer deserves a biography that merits a Pulitzer Prize. I think this book is of that quality.
›
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