Choral Music in the Twentieth Century (Amadeus)

This book makes me laugh out loud! Strimple tells it is, and doesn't mince his words. Sorry if you're a bad composer--he will let you know. The thing I appreciate most about Strimple's text is his giving voice to the voiceless. He provides a deft survey of near-forgotten Holocaust era composers, and those composing during the second world war. In addition, he introduces English speaking audiences to notable composers who never set a single word in English, giving credence to composers whose output is popular in one location but deserves a listen across the globe.

The book was brand new and arrived quickly. Perfect! Couldn't have asked for anything more. And a great price too!

Another gem by Nick Strimple.

Firstly, it needs to be said: As far as I know, this is the best book out there for what it's trying to do. It's a truly encyclopedic look at choral music all around the world in the 20th century. It does a beautiful job of including brief summary information about all the major choral writers, and details about the major works. As I read it, I kept thinking about how long it would take just to locate and listen to/play through all the works listed in the book. It would be the work of a lifetime if you were doing anything else with your life. Further, because it is so encyclopedic, I think it will wind up being the source for countless program notes and research papers. And this is why my next points are, I think, especially important. 1) This book has a lot of opinion in it. That's one major thing in its favor. A book listing only the major composers' major teachers and major works with dates and locations of premieres would be dry as dirt. Strimple isn't afraid to call inferior work inferior, to dismiss certain composers' entire output, and to consign composers who are currently popular to the dustbin of history. (his comments on Rutter are shockingly dismissive, and, I think, accurate)Opinion in a reference book is scary if you expect it to be even-handed, which this book certainly isn't. The author makes no attempt to hide his personal tastes. 2) Like any book of its kind, this book is not going to have an infallible record of the last 10 years of the century. First published in 2002, it does what it must: lists with very little comment a string of prominent writers from the '90s in all the geographic areas it covers. But in 20 or 30 years, it will read like Copland's 1969 book "The New Music" does now. Some great assessments and some 'who?' moments. 3) As one might expect, the book weighs heavily toward serious 'concert music' as opposed to 'popular choral music'. He is particularly dismissive of American Evangelical music, and he uses a quote from Mahler to bolster his argument that form should be the equal of function in music, although one might ask what difference Mahler's opinion makes in a genre he showed no interest in. He also seems dismissive of popularizing and simplifying elements in church music that have worked their way into the music of educational institutions. Backhanded compliments to Natalie Sleeth and withering comparisons of John W. Peterson's cantatas with those of Bach seem a little over the top. After all, neither of them aspire to the same aesthetic Bach did, and the times have changed considerably since 1750. There is also an argument to be made that MOST church music throughout history has been functional, of middling quality, and without lasting value, although to hear Strimple talk about it, the 1960s brought about a precipitous decline of a previously high standard of church music. I think Bach was as much an aberration in his own day as he is now, and hum-drum masses and passions we're continually unearthing from his era seem to bolster my argument. 4) The chapters related to the countries an American choral conductor is likely to know a fair amount about have extensive chapters with lots of opinions, where chapters on Greece, the Balkans, Africa, Central and South America, Canada and the Pacific Rim are less copious, partly because of less readily available information, and maybe less choral singing, I don't know. These caveats and quibbles are small prices to pay for such a terrific contribution to the library of a choral conductor. I look forward to using this for many years, and to reading the volume about the 19th century. Get this book!

This book is the first of its kind, and much needed in the world of choral literature. Up until this book, the best survey book out there was Homer Ulrich's Survey of Choral Music, which focused more on large genres, spanned the history of Western music, and only reached the 1970s. Nick Strimple, professor at the University of Southern California, has written a fantastic survey focusing the twentieth century. Strimple features music from six continents (sorry Antartica!)-- music is first classified by region, then by composer (Ulrich's book is classified more by genre, which means some skipping around). While Europe and North America receive most of the focus, considerable attention is also given to South America and regions of Africa and Asia. In addition to large works, Strimple also discusses octavos as well, making this a complete survey. The most notable element about Choral Music in the 20th Century is that it is so well-written. Descriptions of compositions are concise, descriptive, and can serve as springboards for program notes and further research. Perhaps even more impressive is how well the book holds up when read cover to cover. It is so easy for descriptions about music to sound alike after awhile (there are only so many ways one can describe an upbeat piece, for instance). Yet Strimple's prose seems unburdened by the density of research which a survey must convey. Readers should keep in mind that this is a survey of choral music -- there are no lengthy analyses or value judgments here (these pieces are great, these pieces are lousy, etc.). Otherwise the book would have been three times its size. Also, when writing a book about choral music across six continents, there are bound to be some composers or works which slip through the cracks. I can only imagine the disappointment expressed by some who didn't "make the cut." The truth is that with nothing out there like it, Strimple's book didn't have to be this good (or this inexpensive, for which Strimple and his publisher should also be credited). Due to his diligence, however, it seems this book will likely serve as the de facto survey on 20th century choral music for several decades. And there's good news -- Amazon shows that Strimple's book on nineteenth-century music is due to come out later this year. Hurrah!

The most pretentious and tedious book I've ever read. Yes it vomits out many, many, many facts, many of which are unrelated to anything relevant. This may be a much needed text, but only for the sheer fact that there are so few out there about Choral Music in recent history. I mean, why do I care that Schoenberg was Gershwin's tennis partner? I mean really! Also the author is very biased and what he dares to put down as fact as to who should be considered great or not should be taken with a grain of salt. Very dissatisfied. Someone please write a new book for 20th century Choral music! For the love of sanity!!