Book

Sparks, Paul.

The classical mandolin / Paul Sparks.

Oxford : Clarendon Press ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1995.

xiv, 225 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Although the mandolin is now regarded as a marginal instrument in the classical music world, a century ago it was one of the most widely played instruments in Europe and North America. Regularly used in operas and symphonies, and forming the basis of plucked instrument orchestras, the mandolin could also be heard in major concert halls. The Classical Mandolin traces the rise of the modern Neapolitan mandolin, examines the lives and works of leading specialist composers (such as Raffaele Calace and Carlo Munier), and looks at its use by mainstream composers from Verdi and Mahler to Schoenberg and Boulez. The mandolin's enduring popularity in folk music is also discussed. Sparks looks finally at present-day orchestras and soloists, examines aspects of technique, and offers guidance on specialist organisations worldwide.

Mandolin.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 208-213) and index.

1815-1878 -- The Decline of the Mandoline and Mandolino as Concert Instruments -- Italy and the Creation of the Modern Mandolin -- 1878-1892 -- The Paris Exhibition of 1878 -- Spanish Influences -- Circoli mandolinisti in Italy -- The Mandolin Rediscovered -- 1892-1918 -- The Genoa Concourse and the Virtuoso Era in Italy -- The Heyday of the Mandolin in Europe -- The USA and Elsewhere -- 1918-1945 -- Germany, Austria, and the Emergence of a New Style -- Elsewhere in Continental Europe -- Japan -- The USA, Britain, and Elsewhere -- 1945 to the Present Day -- Europe -- Japan -- The USA and Elsewhere -- Practical Information for Players and Composers -- Instruments, Strings, and Plectrums -- Positions and Techniques -- The Mandolin Quartet and the Mandolin Orchestra -- The Mandolin and Related Instruments: Brief Definitions.

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description

94030665

0198162952

9780198162957

9780195173376

0195173376

30971319

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150673

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787.84193 Sparks