Samuel Sebastian Wesley: A Life
- Author: Horton, Peter
Rarely does one pick up a musicological/biographical study such as this and find oneself drawn in at every level so putting it down becomes as hard as shutting the latest novel by one's favourite...
Samuel Sebastian Wesley: A Life
- Author: Horton, Peter
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Rarely does one pick up a musicological/biographical study such as this and find oneself drawn in at every level so putting it down becomes as hard as shutting the latest novel by one's favourite...
About
Born into one of England's best-known families, Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-76) was not only the foremost organist and church musician of his generation, but a vigorous campaigner for higher standards in cathedral music. He was also a troubled, difficult character, and accounts of his abrasive personality or anecdotes about his fishing exploits have tended to obscure his very real achievements as a composer. Peter Horton has drawn on a wide range of source material to produce a detailed account of Wesley's life and career as he moved from cathedral to cathedral in search of an unattainable ideal, his youthful idealism gradually giving way to the cynicism and disillusion familiar to those who encountered him late in life. He also examines his development as a composer and presents a study of his complete output (including the many non-church works) against the background of his restless career and in a wider European context. The book is illustrated by a generous selection of musical examples and plates, and includes the most detailed list of works to appear in print.
Contents
- List of Plates
- Abbreviations
- 1 London
- 2 Wesley the Composer
- 3 Hereford
- 4 Exeter
- 5 Leeds
- 6 Winchester
- 7 Gloucester
- 8 Postscript
- Appendix 1
- Appendix 2
- Work-list
- Bibliography
- Index
Awards and reviews
Rarely does one pick up a musicological/biographical study such as this and find oneself drawn in at every level so putting it down becomes as hard as shutting the latest novel by one's favourite author
It is a richly-embroidered canvas, hugely rewarding to read, scrupulously researched, with large and useful appendices, immaculately produced by OUP A definitive study if ever there were one
in Horton's lively narrative the ups and downs of Wesley's life unfold like a soap opera, revealing tensions beneath the calm surfaces of life in England's cathedral closes
Horton's advocacy establishes Wesley as a composer of striking originality and ability in a sea of mediocrity and insularity. He played a major role in rescuing English cathedral music from years of neglect and abuse
