Release date is 2005-03-15

William Byrde ... his mass -- Our last great musician (Henry Purcell, 1658-95) -- Bach; the "Matthew" passion and the "John" -- Handel -- Haydn and his "Creation" -- Mozart, his "Don Giovanni" and the Requiem -- "Fidelio" -- Schubert -- Weber and Wagner -- Italian opera, dead and dying -- Verdi young and Verdi younger -- "The flying Dutchman" -- "Lohengrin" -- "Tristan and Isolda" -- "Siegfried" -- "The dusk of the gods" -- "Parsifal" -- Bayreuth in 1897 -- A note on Brahms -- Anton Dvorák -- Tschaikowsky and his "Pathetic" symphony -- Lamoureux and his orchestra.

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"Old Scores and New Readings: Discussions on Music & Certain Musicians" by John F. Runciman is a collection of musical critiques written in the early 20th century. The work delves into historical analyses and opinions on various composers, including well-known figures like Byrde, Purcell, Bach, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart. Runciman's discussions aim to reassess their contributions to music and defend the legacy of composers who he believes have been unjustly overlooked or misunderstood by later critics. The opening of the book begins with an admiration for the English composer William Byrde, particularly focusing on his D minor Mass and emphasizing its beauty and emotional depth. Runciman advocates for reevaluating Byrde's work, arguing that previous judgments have neglected the innovation and expressiveness found in his music, which deviated from later established rules of composition. He contrasts Byrde's artistry with that of his contemporaries and successors, suggesting that his music belongs among the finest treasures of early English composition. This sets the tone for the book, as Runciman promises to explore both the merits and cultural contexts of various historical musicians throughout his ensuing discussions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

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