Do you have it yet? HLDLG v4

[john haueisen]

With boundless joy and anticipation, I found that today's mail brought the arrival of my Henry-Louis de La Grange's Mahler, volume 4!

Unlike Barry Guerrero, I will not be able to read it tonight and write a review for tomorrow morning, for now I am on the horns of a new dilemma:  how to explain to my wife that the volume 4 is HER gift to me for our anniversary in June.   It might be easier to explain why Rogner used a muted coronet instead of a flugelhorn in his version of M3.

John H, upon the horns of a dilemma

[barry guerrero]

No John, David Hurwitz reviewed the book. I've barely peeked into it! I'm embarrassed because I've yet to write a single note on the Mahler 10th (I will, some day - when I have time and a bit of money).

Barry

[sperlsco]

...John H, upon the horns of a dilemma

I agree that your wife should be most upset with you if you attempt to make this your Anniversary present (unless you plan to read the book out loud to her).  OTOH, I am constantly buying myself Birthday and Christmas presents throughout the year.  In this case, though, I have deemed the HLDLG book to be my Father's Day present!   

BTW, I am only through the first 20+ pages so far, but am quite excited to have it in my possession.  I don't know that I previously would have considered spending $100 on the book, but DH's review convinced me. 

[Polarius T]

...how to explain to my wife that the volume 4 is HER gift to me for our anniversary in June. It might be easier to explain why Rogner used a muted coronet instead of a flugelhorn in his version of M3....

I hear you, brother. We really must apply our most creative faculties to these challenges. We just got a new family member and so for the last year or so already I've been claiming all my expenditure in pre-Romantic music to be for the benefit of the baby's cognitive development. Altruistic attitude and showing concern for the long term really works with moms even though she reads me like an open book. Recently I've even managed to include most of my jazz in the package: the baby now so very clearly likes Lee Konitz, Chris Potter, and some other sax players I've managed to make him doze off to. Who wants to deny her baby such moments of peace!

PT

[Polarius T]

Thanks. In the final analysis, however, I'm not sure I'd want to go as far as to recommend having babies as the strategy for increasing music listening opportunities. 

pt

[Polarius T]

OK--maybe not THE STRATEGY, but certainly a useful strategy. 
How about justifying the purchase of Henry-Louis de La Grange's v4 as a platform for changing diapers?  With proper protective covering (for the book), the heavy v4 could perform the function of a sure and steady base of operations.

You might well succeed. I myself just found out the rationalizations I use work for my weekly wine shopping as well. Now, that's a bit of a stretch (red wine aiding the baby's cognitive development), so I'm lead to conclude that it's really the benevolence of my partner and not the force of my better argument. So with a quietly understanding companion you have all the chances in the world.

Maybe I'll try this out myself: HLdlG is on the top of my must-read list and our diaper changing station is turning too light-weight already.

Happy reading!

PT

[Leo K]

New interview with HLDLG by Gene Gaudette:


http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_features.php?id=5907


--Todd

[john haueisen]

An update on my (joyful) trudging through v4 of La Grange's Mahler:

This will probably sound obvious to many visitors to the gustavmahlerboard:  v4 is more suited for the scholar or "Mahler-nut" than for the general public. 
You already knew that, but here's an example that brings home the point.
Henry Louis de La Grange does not, as many Mahler biographers do, write that Mahler was well-received in New York, and then provide a few quotes of critics or concert-goers.
HLDLG tells what nearly all the critics and significant people on the cultural scene thought of Mahler's premiere, AND what their backgrounds were, and their interactions with other society figures and the history of the atmosphere helping to form their opinions and attitudes.

In short, (and you probably already knew this!) La Grange does the most comprehensive job imaginable of telling the whole story of Mahler's time in America.  It's not the sort of book most people would wish to read, cover-to-cover;  it's an invaluable reference to rush to for the "definitive word" on matters Mahlerian.

[Jot N. Tittle]

. . . HLDLG tells what nearly all the critics and significant people on the cultural scene thought of Mahler's premiere, AND what their backgrounds were, and their interactions with other society figures and the history of the atmosphere helping to form their opinions and attitudes. . . .

Henry-Louis does indeed go into detail about the "Society" of the day and is well qualified to do so. His mother's family (the Sloanes) were box-holders at the Met. He knows at first hand about "Society's" lack of musical knowledge and appreciation, and reports it with fine impartiality. Good for him!

     . & '

[sperlsco]

The one thing that I find myself skipping are the endless reviews of the opera singers' perfromances.  They were more interesting to read about the first dozen or so times.   

[stillivor]

And one can get a lot of information on mahler performances up to WW2 from The Mahler Companion, an invaluable work (even if they nearly missed out the Piano Quartet movement, and don;'t mention the Symphonic Prelde (doubtful0 even in passing.)


    Ivor