The book by Romain Rolland is a collection of essays about various composers and their works. The author, who is a music critic and professor, has a deep understanding of the life and works of the composers he writes about and is able to provide insightful analysis of their music. The book is intended for both professional students and intelligent...More
Romain Rolland (29 January 1866 – 30 December 1944) was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915 "as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production and to the sympathy and love of truth with which he has described different types of human beings". He was a leading supporter of Joseph Stalin in France and is also noted for his correspondence with and influence on Sigmund Freud.
Romain Rolland (29 January 1866 – 30 December 1944) was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915 "as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production and to the sympathy and love of truth with which he has described different types of human beings". He was a leading supporter of Joseph Stalin in France and is also noted for his correspondence with and influence on Sigmund Freud.
Book Summary
The book by Romain Rolland is a collection of essays about various composers and their works. The author, who is a music critic and professor, has a deep understanding of the life and works of the composers he writes about and is able to provide insightful analysis of their music. The book is intended for both professional students and intelligent listeners, and aims to educate audiences about the importance of musical appreciation. The author believes that by understanding the laws underlying the "beautiful in music" and the demands that it makes on the intellect and emotions, listeners will be better able to appreciate the works of the composers. The book was published in 1908, at a time when the author hoped for a cessation of race-hatred and distrust and a new sense of the emotional solidarity of mankind.