Essays On Music (Hardcover)

Hans Keller (1919-1985) was one of the most brilliant and stimulating writers on music of his day, and this work offers a large selection of his essays. His work draws on his rich and diverse experience as a string-player, composer, teacher, analyst and critic, and also reflects a deep interest in psychoanalysis. The first part of the book addresses psychological issues relating to critics, listeners, players and composers; the second analyzes music by a wide range of composers from Haydn to the present day; and the third propounds his new theory of music, with essays on unity and contrast, motifs, themes, keys, timbre and rhythm. There is also a wordless functional analysis of a Mozart piano sonata published here for the first time. The volume concludes with an account of what Keller deemed to be the principles of composition.