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9780226809489

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""In this short but powerful book, acclaimed tenor Bostridge explores themes of gender roles, politicizing, decolonizing, and death within a range of operatic and song repertoire ranging from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Bostridge's earlier training as a historian provides a solid grounding for his foray into this exploration of subjects of timely import to the artistic community.""-- ""Library Journal"" ""Bostridge uniquely combines the gifts of a celebrated tenor with the gifts of a professional historian. The result in these remarkable essays is an exploration of both the emergence of certain powerful musical compositions and the experience of performing them. These 'hidden histories, ' as Bostridge calls them, at once complicate and intensify our responses to the works of art he so effectively brings to life.""-- ""Stephen Greenblatt, author of 'Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare'"" ""Finally a book that highlights something I have always felt to be true: the immutability of creative art. Bostridge's new book shines a light in the corner of often neglected, fragile beauty, and brings that beauty a relevance to current issues of the world we live in: gender, race, and the universality and humanity of death.""-- ""Yuja Wang, pianist"" ""This book gives an old cliché a new and fresh life. Bostridge shows how music creates personal and social identities, evoking the ways song shapes character in vivid and unfussy prose. It's a wonderful essay.""-- ""Richard Sennett, author of 'The Craftsman'"" ""Song and Self is an engaging, elegant, and provocative meditation on identity in music. Focusing on the performer and the text, Bostridge writes from deep thought and scholarly research but also from thirty years of personal musical experience; he formulates and articulates this combination with eloquence--indeed with poetic power.""-- ""Linda Hutcheon, author of 'Four Last Songs: Aging and Creativity in Verdi, Strauss, Messiaen, and Britten'""

Bostridge uniquely combines the gifts of a celebrated tenor with the gifts of a professional historian. The result in these remarkable essays is an exploration of both the emergence of certain powerful musical compositions and the experience of performing them. These 'hidden histories, ' as Bostridge calls them, at once complicate and intensify our responses to the works of art he so effectively brings to life. -- Stephen Greenblatt, author of 'Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare' Finally a book that highlights something I have always felt to be true: the immutability of creative art. Bostridge's new book shines a light in the corner of often neglected, fragile beauty, and brings that beauty a relevance to current issues of the world we live in: gender, race, and the universality and humanity of death. -- Yuja Wang, pianist This book gives an old cliche a new and fresh life. Bostridge shows how music creates personal and social identities, evoking the ways song shapes character in vivid and unfussy prose. It's a wonderful essay. -- Richard Sennett, author of 'The Craftsman' Song and Self is an engaging, elegant, and provocative meditation on identity in music. Focusing on the performer and the text, Bostridge writes from deep thought and scholarly research but also from thirty years of personal musical experience; he formulates and articulates this combination with eloquence--indeed with poetic power. -- Linda Hutcheon, author of 'Four Last Songs: Aging and Creativity in Verdi, Strauss, Messiaen, and Britten'

In this short but powerful book, acclaimed tenor Bostridge explores themes of gender roles, politicizing, decolonizing, and death within a range of operatic and song repertoire ranging from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Bostridge's earlier training as a historian provides a solid grounding for his foray into this exploration of subjects of timely import to the artistic community. -- Library Journal Bostridge uniquely combines the gifts of a celebrated tenor with the gifts of a professional historian. The result in these remarkable essays is an exploration of both the emergence of certain powerful musical compositions and the experience of performing them. These 'hidden histories, ' as Bostridge calls them, at once complicate and intensify our responses to the works of art he so effectively brings to life. -- Stephen Greenblatt, author of 'Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare' Finally a book that highlights something I have always felt to be true: the immutability of creative art. Bostridge's new book shines a light in the corner of often neglected, fragile beauty, and brings that beauty a relevance to current issues of the world we live in: gender, race, and the universality and humanity of death. -- Yuja Wang, pianist This book gives an old cliche a new and fresh life. Bostridge shows how music creates personal and social identities, evoking the ways song shapes character in vivid and unfussy prose. It's a wonderful essay. -- Richard Sennett, author of 'The Craftsman' Song and Self is an engaging, elegant, and provocative meditation on identity in music. Focusing on the performer and the text, Bostridge writes from deep thought and scholarly research but also from thirty years of personal musical experience; he formulates and articulates this combination with eloquence--indeed with poetic power. -- Linda Hutcheon, author of 'Four Last Songs: Aging and Creativity in Verdi, Strauss, Messiaen, and Britten'

Author Information

Ian Bostridge is an English tenor, known for his performances as an opera and lieder singer. His recordings have won multiple international record prizes and three Grammy awards, and he gives recitals regularly throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. He was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2004. His recent books include Schubert's Winter Journey: Anatomy of an Obsession and A Singer's Notebook.

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