by Alison Garnham (Author), Alison Garnham (Author), Susi Woodhouse (Author)
A musician of penetrating insight, Hans Keller (1919-1985) was also an exceptional writer whose importance for post-war music in Britain is fundamental. Witty, passionate, sometimes disarmingly honest, Keller's letters present not only a vivid picture of an extraordinary mind, but also a significant insight into his musical times. Keller's correspondents included Alfred Brendel, Yehudi Menuhin, Peter Pears, Benjamin Britten, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, H.C. Robbins Landon, Deryck Cooke and Nicholas Kenyon. Garnham and Woodhouse present a fascinating biography, illuminated by Keller's own letters, which shall appeal to all serious classical music lovers.
Format: Illustrated
Pages: 436
Edition: 1
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 07 Dec 2018
ISBN 10: 1138391042
ISBN 13: 9781138391048
This is a detailed and revealing biography, rich in context and background, of one of the great musical thinkers, writers and broadcasters of our time. It casts a penetrating light on the post-war cultural scene and the passionate internal battles of music broadcasting on the BBC. Keller's many enthusiasms, from Schoenberg and Mendelssohn to Gershwin and the Beatles, shine through his fiercely communicative prose. And all are illuminated by the moving personal integrity of a man who, facing extinction by the Nazis in 1938, swore that if he survived I'll never again be in a bad mood, whatever the circumstances of my life or death . Alison Garnham and Susi Woodhouse have written a vital chapter in the musical history of our times.
Nicholas Kenyon, Managing Director of The Barbican Centre, London, UK.