The Life of Music

New Adventures in the Western Classical Tradition

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Pub Date 08 Jun 2021 | Archive Date 31 May 2021
Yale University Press, London | Yale University Press

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Description

Nicholas Kenyon explores the enduring appeal of the classical canon at a moment when we can access all music—across time and cultures

“Nicholas Kenyon is an amiable and enthusiastic guide to a thousand years of classical music.”—Neil Fisher, The Times

“A wonderfully engaging survey. . . . It is what every music lover needs close by. . . . We are left in no doubt about music’s extraordinary power.”—Ian Thomson, Financial Times

Immersed in music for much of his life as writer, broadcaster, and concert presenter, former director of the BBC Proms Nicholas Kenyon has long championed an astonishingly wide range of composers and performers. Now, as we think about culture in fresh ways, Kenyon revisits the stories that make up the classical tradition and foregrounds those that are too often overlooked. This inclusive, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic guide highlights the achievements of the women and men, amateurs and professionals, who bring music to life.

Taking us from pianist Myra Hess’s performance in London during the Blitz, to John Adams’s composition of a piece for mourners after New York’s 9/11 attacks, to Italian opera singers singing from their balconies amidst the 2020 pandemic, Kenyon shows that no matter how great the crisis, music has the power to bring us together. His personal, celebratory account transforms our understanding of how classical music is made—and shows us why it is more relevant than ever.
Nicholas Kenyon explores the enduring appeal of the classical canon at a moment when we can access all music—across time and cultures

“Nicholas Kenyon is an amiable and enthusiastic guide to a...

Advance Praise

“A typically wise and thoughtful book, which manages to combine a wealth of unexpected information with an immensely readable style - it should grab anybody, whatever their level of musical knowledge.”—Sir Simon Rattle, music director, London Symphony Orchestra

"What better moment to ponder the question of where music has been, where it might be headed and the existential issue of what meaning it may hold? The Life of Music ponders these questions with wit and a depth of information."—Deborah Borda, president and CEO, New York Philharmonic Orchestra

"Nicholas Kenyon brings a lifetime of listening and wisdom to his encyclopaedic survey of the Western classical music canon. In a narrative of breadth and critical acumen, The Life of Music traverses a millennium of music-making with stopping points along the way to ponder its past, present and future."—John Adams, composer

'As critic, author, broadcaster, and administrator, Nicholas Kenyon has seen the art and life of music from every possible angle, and the breadth of his experience is evident on every page of this hugely absorbing volume. He also brings to bear keen insight, an aversion to dogma, and a wisdom steeped in humility. Classical music has a tendency toward grandiose rhetoric: Kenyon unfurls the entire monumental story in unwaveringly human terms.'—Alex Ross, music critic at The New Yorker and author of The Rest is Noise

“Nick Kenyon takes us to the very heart and soul of music, by surveying the past, he gives us hope for the future."—Gustavo Dudamel, artistic and music director, Los Angeles Philharmonic


“A typically wise and thoughtful book, which manages to combine a wealth of unexpected information with an immensely readable style - it should grab anybody, whatever their level of musical...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780300223828
PRICE $27.50 (USD)
PAGES 360

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Featured Reviews

As a violinist in my local symphony orchestra, any book on classical music is going to be approached with interest and this was certainly no different.

Nicholas Kenyon, a former director of the BBC Proms, has covered a vast span, going back centuries to re-evaluate the role of early music and gradually coming forward to the present day and more challenging music of the 20th and 21st centuries.

As with any book examining classical music, there is a degree of subjectivity in which composers are written about as well as the degree of prominence given. Overall, there is a good arch of familiar and less well-known composers within Kenyon's prose, which is knowledgeable and insightful whilst remaining eminently readable. Most readers, even those with more than a passing knowledge, will find out new and surprising information and new composers to explore.

What particularly sells the book is the list at the end of 100 pieces that Kenyon recommends for further listening, including preferred recordings. These range across all areas of classical music and can be accessed via Spotify, so not difficult to search out.

I found the chapter structure straightforward and easy to follow. Although not a book you will read in a couple of days, it rewards closer study and is a valuable addition to the library of anyone with at least a passing interest in classical music.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Yale University Press, in return for an honest appraisal.

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