We’re excited to share some big news: SquarePages.co is now OpenChapter.io! Read more in the latest blog post here.
Book cover

Reflections on the Music Life in the United States

By Roger Sessions

(3.5 stars) • 10 reviews

Explore the evolution of American music through the eyes of a composer who witnessed its struggle for recognition and its eventual triumph on the world stage.

Genres
Released
2022-01-24
Formats
mobi
epub (images)
epub
mobi (images)
epub3 (images)
txt
Read Now

Summary

"Reflections on the Music Life in the United States" by Roger Sessions is a recollection of the American music scene, chronicling its transformation, particularly after World War I, by observing the struggles and victories of American composers and musicians as they shaped the nation’s sound. The author's personal story intertwines with an assessment of the changing musical environment, as he navigated a world where European musical traditions overshadowed American creativity; charting the shift from limited acceptance to increasing opportunity and appreciation for modern American music. The book looks into different parts of music, like concerts and education, offering insights into how music developments mirror the cultural growth of the United States.

About the Author

Roger Huntington Sessions was an American composer, teacher, and writer on music. He had initially started his career writing in a neoclassical style, but gradually moved further towards more complex harmonies and postromanticism, and finally the twelve-tone serialism of the Second Viennese School. Sessions' friendship with Arnold Schoenberg influenced this, but he would modify the technique to develop a unique style involving rows to supply melodic thematic material, while composing the subsidiary parts in a free and dissonant manner.

Average Rating
4.0
Aggregate review score sourced from Goodreads
5
200
4
200
3
200
2
200
1
200
Total Reviews
10.0k
Total reviews from Goodreads may change