The Music of Lord Berners, 1883-1950
Subtitle: The Versatile Peer
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing
Published: February 2003
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 164
ISBN-13: 9780754608523
Subjects: 20th century music; Biography: film, television & music; Composers & musicians; 20th century; c 1800 to c 1900; General; Berners, Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-Wilson,; Biography / Autobiography; Music; England; History & Criticism - General; Berners, Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-Wilson; Berners, Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-; 1883-1950; Baron,; Criticism and interpretation
First sentence: Gerald Tyrwhitt, later the 14th Lord Berners, was born at Apley Park, Shropshire, on 18 September 1883.
Description: "Gerald Tyrwhitt-Wilson, the 14th Baron Berners, was a well-known figure in his day. Labelled by the national press as 'the versatile peer' he was a composer, writer, painter and great socialite. His musical output was small, but highly successful in its day, with ballets staged in London, Monte Carlo and New York, an opera produced in Paris, and two film scores completed in the 1940s." "These works, together with Berners' songs, his music for piano, and other instrumental pieces are given their first in-depth examination in this study. Bryony Jones shows how Berners' cosmopolitan musical style radically differed from that of many of his contemporaries who were concerned with creating a 'national' music. Instead, Berners drew his inspiration from abroad, and comparisons are drawn with Les Six, and connections made with the work of Satie, Debussy and Ravel. Well known for his elaborate practical jokes and sense of humour, Berners was an archetype of British eccentricity, and these aspects of his personality shaped much of his musical style." "The book concludes with an attempt to explain why Berners' music was neglected following his death, and why there has been a recent resurgence of interest."--BOOK JACKET.