Chamber Music: A Listener's Guide

I am happy we have it!" -- Menahem Pressler, Beaux Arts Trio"Chamber music is beloved by all musicians, and a reference such as this is welcome and needed. When describing music he is the ideal tour guide, leading us on musical journeys with enthusiasm and authority. He clearly adores chamber music and, in his writing, conveys that love with passion and authority in a way that will enrich any listener or performer." -- Renée Fleming"James Keller's engaging essays do exactly what great program notes should: they transport us inside classical music's fascinating scenarios of creation. This excellent gui

James Keller, longtime Program Annotator of the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony, was awarded the prestigious ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for feature writing about music in Chamber Music magazine, where he has been Contributing Editor for more than a decade.

"Excellent scholarship, very well written" according to Barbara E. Zarlengo. Excellent scholarship, very well written, accessible and enjoyable. Cudos to James Keller for what is sure to become a seminal work on Chamber Music.. Four Stars Useful, well-written introductions to the compositions chosen for inclusion.. Three Stars Good, but not comparable to Michael Sternberg's notes on the symphony, concerto, or choral music.

Oxford's highly successful listener's guides--The Symphony, The Concerto, and Choral Masterworks--have been widely praised for their blend of captivating biography, crystal clear musical analysis, and delightful humor. Now James Keller follows these greatly admired volumes with Chamber Music. Keller shares the colorful, often surprising stories behind the compositions while revealing the delights of an art form once described by Goethe as the musical equivalent of "thoughtful people conversing.". Keller spans the history of this intimate genre of music, from key works of the Baroque through the emotionally stirring "golden age" of the Classical and Romantic composers, to modern masterpieces rich in political, psychological, and sometimes comical overtones. For each piece, from Bach through to contemporary figures like George Crumb and Steve Reich, the author includes an astute musical analysis that casual music lovers can easily appreciate yet that more experienced listeners will find enriching. Approaching the tradition of chamber music with knowledge and passion, Keller here serves as the often-opinionated but always genial guide to 192 essential works by 56 composers, providing illuminating essays on what makes each piece distinctive and admirable