King Arthur in music
By: edited by Richard Barber.
Contributors: Barber, Richard W.
Series: Arthurian studies -- 52
Publisher: D.S. Brewer
Published: 2002
Place of publication: Cambridge
Language: eng
Number of pages: 190
Subjects: Arthur, -- King -- Songs and music -- History and criticism; Music and literature
Genres: Songs and music
Description: "King Arthur in Music is the first book to be devoted to the subject. The range of musical material is too wide for a single author to tackle satisfactorily, and the nine contributors to this volume are experts in the very different fields involved. The first essay, by Robert Shay, deals with the late seventeenth century semi-opera 'King Arthur', while the final essay by William Everitt looks at the appearances of Arthur on stage and screen and the scores that have accompanied these."

"Between these two extremes, the main body of the book deals largely with opera, from Wagner's 'Tristan' and 'Parsifal' to Harrison Birtwistle's 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'. Some works have never been performed, such as Hubert Parry's 'Guenever' and Rutland Boughton's Arthurian cycle, while others have only recently been staged or revived, such as Isaac Albeniz's 'Merlin' and Ernest Chausson's 'Le roi Artus', both striking post-Wagnerian works in very different styles - 'Merlin', for instance, beginning with a passage based on Gregorian chant. The range of music is wider than one might at first suspect."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Dryden and Purcell's King Arthur : legend and politics on the Restoration stage / Robert Shay; title: Wagner : Tristan und Isolde and Parsifal / Derek Watson; title: Parry's Guenever : trauma and catharsis / Jeremy Dibble; title: King Arthur and the Wagner cult in Spain : Isaac Albéniz's opera Merlin / Walter A. Clark; title: Ernest Chausson's Le roi Arthus / Tony Hunt; title: Rutland Boughton's Arthurian cycle / Michael Hurd; title: An exotic Tristan in Boston : the first performance of Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphonie / Nigel Simeone; title: "Good lodging" : Harrison Birtwistle's reception of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight / Robert Adlington; title: King Arthur in popular musical theatre and film / William A. Everett; title: A listing of Arthurian music / Jerome V. Reel.