Book Review
Apr. 29th, 2014 10:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariThe Cambridge Companion to Bartók
edited by Amanda Bayley
This book, like all the Cambridge Music Companions, is a set of essays on a single composer, instrument, ensemble, or genre. All the essays were written for this book, and they are all of extremely high quality. The Cambridge Companion to Bartok start with two essays on the social and political context for Bartok's activities as a composer and ethnomusicologist. The second part is the meat of the book: a series of essays on Bartok's music, grouped along both chronological and genre lines. The book concludes with a few essays on the critical reception of Bartok's music.
Despite the academic nature of this book, it was surprisingly enjoyable to read. Every essay was well-written and substantive, with a minimum of impenetrable scholar-speak. My only real problem with some of the essays was that they could have used more examples. Overall, I feel like I got a lot out of this book and look forward to reading the other volumes in the series.
edited by Amanda Bayley
This book, like all the Cambridge Music Companions, is a set of essays on a single composer, instrument, ensemble, or genre. All the essays were written for this book, and they are all of extremely high quality. The Cambridge Companion to Bartok start with two essays on the social and political context for Bartok's activities as a composer and ethnomusicologist. The second part is the meat of the book: a series of essays on Bartok's music, grouped along both chronological and genre lines. The book concludes with a few essays on the critical reception of Bartok's music.
Despite the academic nature of this book, it was surprisingly enjoyable to read. Every essay was well-written and substantive, with a minimum of impenetrable scholar-speak. My only real problem with some of the essays was that they could have used more examples. Overall, I feel like I got a lot out of this book and look forward to reading the other volumes in the series.
