Deceptive cadence in his new book, conductor john eliot gardiner searches for clues to uncover what the great composers life and personality were really. Mass in b minor 2015 recording by john eliot gardiner. John eliot gardiner has been studying and performing bach ever since, and the fruits of this lifetimes immersion are now distilled in this remarkable book. John eliot gardiner has recorded more than 250 cds, which have received numerous awards, including the grammy, the gramophone award, the german record critics prize and the echo klassik award.
Bachs supremely ordered music, gardiner suggests, is engaged in a desperate struggle to keep chaos at bay. It is grounded in all the most recent bach scholarship but moves far beyond it as well, taking us as deeply into bachs works and mind as perhaps words can. John eliot gardiner grew up passing one of the only two authentic portraits of bach every day on the stairs of his parents house, where it hung for safety during world war ii. John eliot gardiner monteverdi choir and orchestra. In this remarkable book, john eliot gardiner distils the fruits of a lifetimes immersion as one of bachs greatest living interpreters. Sir john eliot gardiners landmark recording of the st matthew passion with his monteverdi choir and english baroque soloists in the late 1980s is still widely regarded as one of the most revelatory accounts of the work on disc for its tautness, dramatic energy and innate underlying understanding of the works imposing architecture. And yet, as the esteemed english conductor john eliot gardiner writes in this exhaustive study the summation of a lifetimes absorption in the baroque masters religious music bach may. This 56cd box set includes the complete live recordings from the bach cantata pilgrimage, in an elegant box reflecting the quality of the original series packaging. John eliot gardiner audio books, best sellers, author. Mass in b minor 1985 recording john eliot gardiner. His work as artistic director of his monteverdi choir, english baroque soloists and.
Fn in his new book, gardiner speaks volumes of the new guard at the archive, peter wollny and michael maul, as well as christoph wolff. His book is not a biography, but its guesses about the inner life of an impersonal man. Still a book about bach, the musician of the musicians, the boss. A portrait of johann sebastian bach by john eliot gardiner allen lane, 629pp, telegraph offer price.
John eliot gardiner uses his extraordinary immersion in bachs music to illuminate bach the man more brilliantly than in any previous work, and has created his own deeply moving work of art. The texts of bachs church cantatasi recently finished listening to all two hundred of them, courtesy of john eliot gardiners recorded. Bach by john eliot gardiner overdrive rakuten overdrive. Mass in b minor 2015 recording john eliot gardiner. Oct 30, 20 bachs supremely ordered music, gardiner suggests, is engaged in a desperate struggle to keep chaos at bay. In an interview he told a magazine that it will be released in 2006. This movement began in holland and germany at the end of the seventies. Dec 23, 20 and yet, as the esteemed english conductor john eliot gardiner writes in this exhaustive study the summation of a lifetimes absorption in the baroque masters religious music bach may. Conductor john eliot gardiner on his love of music and. Many years ago, i read christoph wolffs masterful bach. Bachs sacred choral works isnt a complete traversal of the composers choral music, but the major and bestknown works are all here, plus a number of more obscure ones.
Jul 11, 2017 it never happens often enough, but now and then, a subject gets the book it deserves. Music in the castle of heaven kindle edition by gardiner, john eliot. And yet, as the esteemed english conductor john eliot gardiner writes in this exhaustive study the. Music in the castle of heaven 1st edition by gardiner, john eliot isbn. Sir john eliot gardiner revisits the st matthew passion. Matthew passion, the motets and the mass in b minor.
Gardiner writes with the care of a scholar, the knowledge of an expert musician, and the passion of a believer. He has been studying and performing bach ever since, and is now regarded as one of the composers greatest living interpreters. John eliot gardiner takes us as deeply into bachs works and mind as perhaps words can. Music in the castle of heaven in its commitment, scope and comprehensivenessin his thoroughgoing discussions of bachs music, mr. John eliot gardiner grew up passing one of the only two authentic portraits of bach every morning and evening on the stairs of his parents house, where it hung for safety during world war ii. The result is a unique book about one of the greatest of all creative artists. Gardiners impressive bach cantata tour with his monteverdi choir, performing bachs music in places of historical importance to it. Oct 03, 20 john eliot gardiner takes us as deeply into bachs works and mind as perhaps words can. A portrait of johann sebastian bach, was published in october 20 by allen lane, leading to the prix des muses award singerpolignac.
Meeting john eliot gardiner in johann sebastian bach s hometown leipzig with sarah willis duration. Sir john eliot gardiner amazed the world with his bachpilgrimage 2000 and hit the top 10 of nonfiction with his biography 20. Music in the castle of heaven, by john eliot gardiner. With this recording, conductor john eliot gardiner returns to bachs magisterial mass in b minor, bwv 232, just about exactly 30 years after first recording it in 1985. Bach mass in b minor john eliot gardiner 2015 youtube.
John eliot gardiner born 20 april 1943, fontmell magna, dorset, england is an english conductor, most famous for his interpretations of baroque music on period instruments. The performances were recorded and issued in lavish packaging on s. At the end of his long book, after a lifetime spent studying and conducting bachs choral works, gardiner finally has the courage to return that stern. John passions, the christmas oratorio, and the magnificat are included, as well as 35 cantatas. Sir john eliot gardiner stands as an international leader in todays musical life, respected as one of the worlds most innovative and dynamic musicians, constantly at the forefront of enlightened interpretation. The result is a unique book about one of the greatest of all creative artists 3 out of 5 stars. He formed the the monteverdi choir in 1964 and 4 years later the monteverdi orchestra, with whose members he founded the english baroque soloists in 1978. Bachs st john passion was conceived not just as a work of religious art but as an act of worship in itself says sir john eliot gardiner. Music in the castle of heaven audible audio edition. Sep 19, 2016 the 2015 release of johann sebastian bach s mass in b minor performed by the english baroque soloists and the monteverdi choir, conducted by john eliot gardiner.
October 29, 20 in his new book, conductor john eliot gardiner searches for clues to uncover what the great composers life and personality were. Music in the castle of heaven by john eliot gardiner. Sir john eliot gardiner is talented almost beyond measure. Explaining in wonderful detail how bach worked and how his music achieves its effects, he also takes us as deeply into bachs works and mind as perhaps words can. Deutsche grammophonarchiv productions 22disc set of j.
It never happens often enough, but now and then, a subject gets the book it deserves. Dec 04, 20 not to proclaim that an authors first book will necessarily stand as his magnum opus, but it is hard to imagine what the english maestro john eliot gardiner, 70, might do to surpass bach. One of the best books of the year the economist the christian science monitor financial times johann sebastian bach is. Now i have just completed another fascinating study of bachs life. Dec 03, 20 meeting john eliot gardiner in johann sebastian bach s hometown leipzig with sarah willis duration. Monteverdi gives us the full gamut of human pssions in music, the first composer to do so. Among numerous awards in recognition of his work, sir john eliot gardiner holds several honorary doctorates. A supreme bach interpreter brings a lifetimes experience to one of bachs greatest sacred masterpieces in this good friday performance. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Some of his detailed analysis will leave behind his general readers but will surely animate musicians and musicologists.
Amanda foreman, author of a world on fire a superb achievement, scholarly, lively, controversial and judicious. Born in fontmell magna, dorset, gardiners early musical experience came largely through singing with his family and in a local church choir. John eliot gardiners book is not intended as a straight biography so much as a thematic examination of bach the composer as man and. On the german version of amazon there is a release date in 2007. Meeting john eliot gardiner in johann sebastian bachs hometown leipzig with sarah willis duration. John eliot gardiner farmer, conductor and one of the leading interpreters of early music is pointing towards a picture of johann sebastian bach that. His monteverdi choir, english baroque soloists and stupidly named orchestre revolutionnaire et romantique have notched up one triumph.
But it is bach, making music in the castle of heaven, who gives us the voice. John eliot gardiner s book is, apart from anything else, a tremendous feat of narrative. Beethoven tells us what a terrible struggle it is to transcend human frailties and to aspire to the godhead. Gardiner takes us through the major types of worksthe cantatas including some interesting passages about the coffee cantata, the st. Johann sebastian bach is one of the most unfathomable composers in the histor. Sir john eliot gardiner is one of the worlds leading conductors, not only of baroque music but across the whole repertoire. John eliot gardiners book is not intended as a straight biography so much as a thematic examination of bach the composer as man and musician. Music in the castle of heaven, by john eliot gardiner the. Does anyone know more about the book about bach which sir john eliot gardiner is currently working on. Music in the castle of heaven, a biography so thoughtful, wellresearched, and beautifully written that it should satisfy both the wellinformed enthusiast and readers simply seeking to become better acquainted with a musical giant. The english chief was the student and also the heir of nadia boulanger. Born in fontmell magna, dorset, gardiner s early musical experience came largely through singing with his family and in a local church choir. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Listeners who like their period performances of the music of j.
John eliot gardiner discusses his monumental bach biography. Bach rebelled against the limits of what was liturgically appropriate. Bach s synthesis between his music and the word of god. Bach to be played as fast as possible will rejoice at john eliot gardiners quicksilver set of the brandenburg concertos with the english baroque soloists, because his need for speed is fully indulged here. He has been studying and performing bach ever since, and is now regarded as. Not to proclaim that an authors first book will necessarily stand as his magnum opus, but it is hard to imagine what the english maestro john eliot gardiner, 70, might do to surpass bach.
John eliot gardner is one of the worlds greatest performers of baroque music and this book provides insight into what for me would be the otherwise completely inaccessible world of bachs choral music all written in what is for me incomprehensible german. Sir john eliot gardiner, cbe honfba born 20 april 1943 is an english conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of johann sebastian bach and of other baroque music. Bach, gardiners book, music in the castle of heaven. On january 1, 2014, sir john eliot gardiner will become president of the bach archive foundation. Gardiners electrifying tempos almost push his musicians to their capacity for quickness and accuracy. John eliot gardiner uses his extraordinary immersion in bach s music to illuminate bach the man more brilliantly than in any previous work, and has created his own deeply moving work of art. Mar 30, 2017 john eliot gardiner farmer, conductor and one of the leading interpreters of early music is pointing towards a picture of johann sebastian bach that hangs in the sunlit study of his dorset. Gardiner is, of course, the famed british conductor who specializes in historically informed performances of early music.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading bach. He was one of the heroes of the baroque revolution. Music in the castle of heaven, a biography so thoughtful, well. Anyone interested in bach and his cantatas will not be able to get around this book. Bach has become my obsession after a lifetime conducting bach, john eliot gardiner has written an indepth study of a genius touched by god. Bach will never shirk an opportunity to box our ears in the interests of bearing witness to the truth. Its release coincides with the release of sir john eliot gardiners book on bach, music in the castle of heaven. Gardiner has also recorded for deutsche grammophon, philips, and other labels. A portrait of johann sebastian bach, was published in. In between have come a host of other bach recordings.
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