Benjamin Britten & Samuel Barber (Their Lives And Their Music)

Benjamin Britten & Samuel Barber. (Their Lives and Their Music). Amadeus. Softcover with CD. 180 pages. Amadeus Press #1574671081. Published by Amadeus.

The second title in the Amadeus Press Parallel Lives series, this volume examines the lives and work of two giants of 20th century music. Both composers influenced countless others, and their works are performed often in todays concert and opera houses. Felsenfeld gives us a penetrating look into the lives of these two extraordinary men, helping us get to know them and therefore better understand their music. In clear, concise language he examines their major works, helping us to understand their genius and power, which is illustrated by the accompanying full-length CD.

The author points out parallel developments in Britten and Barbers lives and careers. Both came of age in a time of war, a time of political and artistic unrest and upheaval, and both were celebrities in their own time. Both wrote primarily