Overview

Eagle Minds - a selection from the correspondence between the Canadian composer and scholar Istvan Anhalt and his American counterpart George Rochberg - is a splendid chronicle and a penetrating analysis of the swerving socio-cultural movements of a volatile half-century as observed by two highly gifted individuals. Beginning in 1961 and spanning forty-four years, their conversation embraces not only music but other forms of contemporary art, as well as politics, philosophy, religion, and mysticism. The letters chronicle the deepening of their friendship over the years, and the openness, honesty, and genuine warmth between them provide the reader with an intimate look at their personalities. A fascinating intellectual tension emerges between the two men as they record their individual responses to musical modernism, to changing political and social realities, and to their Jewish heritage and sense of place, one as a son of Ukrainian immigrants to the United States, the other as a refugee from war-torn Hungary. Allowing us a privileged glimpse into the private lives and thoughts of these fascinating men, Eagle Minds is a valuable tool for scholars interested in North American composers in the late twentieth century and essential reading for anyone interested in the cultural and social history of that era.

Full Product Details

9781554580187

Table of Contents

Reviews

The warmth of the friendship between Anhalt and Rochberg is nothing less than awe-inspiring, and that alone makes the book worth reading.... Theirs is a world where intelligent discourse, artistic integrity, and the search for beauty and truth are essential pursuits, where friendship and family are the cornerstones of lives, and where taking the time to formulate and share your deepest thoughts is a worthwhile way to spend your time. --Keith Hamel, composer and professor of music, University of British Columbia The warmth of the friendship between Anhalt and Rochberg is nothing less than awe-inspiring, and that alone makes the book worth reading.... Theirs is a world where intelligent discourse, artistic integrity, and the search for beauty and truth are essential pursuits, where friendship and family are the cornerstones of lives, and where taking the time to formulate and share your deepest thoughts is a worthwhile way to spend your time. --Keith Hamel, composer and professor of music, University of British Columbia

The warmth of the friendship between Anhalt and Rochberg is nothing less than awe-inspiring, and that alone makes the book worth reading.... Theirs is a world where intelligent discourse, artistic integrity, and the search for beauty and truth are essential pursuits, where friendship and family are the cornerstones of lives, and where taking the time to formulate and share your deepest thoughts is a worthwhile way to spend your time. - Keith Hamel, composer and professor of music, University of British Columbia

Author Information

Editor Alan M. Gillmor taught at McGill University and Carleton University. He retired in 2003 as professor emeritus. His scholarly publications have appeared in professional journals both in North America and Europe, and his monograph on the French composer Erik Satie (1988, 1990) was shortlisted in 1990 for the Ottawa-Carleton Book Award for non-fiction.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available