Conversations

Notes

Musical knowledge is more than the performance information that is entailed in the analysis of a score. A heartfelt discussion with a musician can generate unparalleled knowledge of the musical work, prompt alternative discoveries about artistic creation and trigger a new awareness of the world through the shared experience of others.

This book is a result of conversations between John Palmer and 20 fellow musicians conducted over a timespan of 25 years, from 1990 to 2015. Featuring some of the most influential and pioneering composers and performers of their generation, the conversations develop organically, roaming between topics as far ranging as compositional technique, creativity and politics. Peppered with artistic vision, anecdote and biographical detail they stand as a unique record of how these artists regard their work and the world in which they live and work.

280 pp