Book Review
Jun. 6th, 2012 10:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariDufay
by David Fallows
I picked this book up because I love medieval music and because Fallows' book on Josquin was so enjoyable.
Dufay, about 15th century composer Guillaume Dufay, was just as good. Fallows does an excellent job not only of narrating Dufay's biography, but also of explaining and analyzing the relevant documentary evidence and how he fleshed out the narrative from the evidence. Dufay's life is pretty interesting, too. He rose from rather hazy and fairly humble beginnings to become recognized as the greatest composer of the day during his lifetime. He served courts in France, Burgundy, and Italy and wrote music for some significant occasions. Of these last, the most notable is his motet "Nuper rosarum flores", written for the dedication of the Florence cathedral when Brunelleschi's dome was finished.
Fallows' descriptions and analyses of Dufay's music are just as compelling as his presentation of the biographical material. Fallows is always insightful without getting overly technical or pedantic. Plus, his language is very clear, largely without the obfuscation that creeps into a lot of academic writing. Best of all, Fallows' love and enthusiasm for this music is continually palpable and quite infectious.
by David Fallows
I picked this book up because I love medieval music and because Fallows' book on Josquin was so enjoyable.
Dufay, about 15th century composer Guillaume Dufay, was just as good. Fallows does an excellent job not only of narrating Dufay's biography, but also of explaining and analyzing the relevant documentary evidence and how he fleshed out the narrative from the evidence. Dufay's life is pretty interesting, too. He rose from rather hazy and fairly humble beginnings to become recognized as the greatest composer of the day during his lifetime. He served courts in France, Burgundy, and Italy and wrote music for some significant occasions. Of these last, the most notable is his motet "Nuper rosarum flores", written for the dedication of the Florence cathedral when Brunelleschi's dome was finished.
Fallows' descriptions and analyses of Dufay's music are just as compelling as his presentation of the biographical material. Fallows is always insightful without getting overly technical or pedantic. Plus, his language is very clear, largely without the obfuscation that creeps into a lot of academic writing. Best of all, Fallows' love and enthusiasm for this music is continually palpable and quite infectious.
