Essays in Musical Analysis, Volume 2: Symphonies (2), Variations, and Orchestral Polyphony

by Sir Donald Francis Tovey

Second volume of deft analyses of select masterpieces from the symphonic literature by this master of musical analysis.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1935

Reviews

[Richard]

When I ask people who was the greatest writer on classical music they almost invariably say Donald Tovey, and while I do not read a lot of this genre I have to say there haven't been any books on classical music, or frankly any music, that I've enjoyed more. Volume 2 of his writings, primarily on symphonies from 1850-1920, contains his famous, thorough and incredibly long essay on Beethoven's Ninth, which has to be the single most interesting thing I've ever read about music, as he discusses its historical importance as well as the intricate details of each movement. He is not adverse to including literary references in his essays, or speaking in grandiose terms or being very personal. His perspective is from a conductor, and much of the discussing is devoted to the difficulties of performance.

In addition to convering many of the great symphonies, Tovey covers some other shorter orchestral pieces, and some obscure works by great composers. In particular, his discussion of Zur Weihe Des Hauses by Beethoven is noteworthy, which contains his acknowledgement of the difficulties of writing about music.

The writing can be heavy at times, and much of it I don't understand, but the quality of the writing is very high. I found it very enlightening. I'm considering going through all of the pieces in the book, and listening to them in connection with the reading. Anyway, I strongly recommend this book and all of Tovey's work to everyone.

[Vince Sheehan]

Introductory analyses of prestigious classical works.

[John Jr.]

See my comments on Volume 1.