Elie Siegmeister, American Composer A Bio-Bibliography [Hardcover]

Lehrman and Boulton have done a great service here for the study of American music. Their tireless research finally brings into sharp focus the career and output of one of America's most distinctive and prolific composers. Siegmeister's multiple commitmentsto social progress, to American folk music, and, in his own works, to balancing depth with accessibilitysing out from this (not short but) sweet book.Composers work in the medium of time, but time is not always a good friend of composers, especially after their death. Memories of performances and works can fade and important legacies can be forgotten. For this reason alone, a bio-bibliography of the distinguished American composer Elie Siegmeister by Leonard Lehrman and Kenneth Boulton is especially valued. This is not a definitive or personalized biography but, instead, a factual compendium of virtually every salient aspect of Siegmeister's life and work. Of particular interest is a very detailed Biographical Essay which includes many little-known facts about the composer's life. Adding to this, though, is the great utility of lists of every known Siegmeister composition, performance, recording, video and article on the composer. Surely this important reference will be a good place to start for an Elie Siegmeister revival and new performances and recordings of his exceptional works.Clearly a labor of love on behalf of Elie Siegmeister and his work, this splendid volume is just as clearly a labor of intelligence and service. Its broad and detailed scholarship and its brilliantly clear organization offer the reader both ease of use and the stimulation of one discovery after another. Siegmeister's vast creativity has never been so fully or so enticingly revealed.A landmark in American music scholarship, a significant book, and one that deserves to be a part of any serious music librarys collection.Researchers and performers will find this a useful guide to this composer.This book contributes to a greater awarenlÃ&