The Gift of Music: Great Composers and Their Influence

Front Cover

One of the finest achievements of Western culture is its brilliant heritage of classical music. A Gift of Music looks at the lives of the greatest composers who have given us this heritage, and especially at how their music was shaped by their beliefs.

The result is a remarkable and inspiring book, showing the importance of Christian faith for many composers, and the effect of this upon their music. But it also shows how the lack of faith has brought profound change in the meaning and form of contemporary music.

Thus A Gift of Music seeks to open up a whole new world of music--to encourage listening to the finest compositions with new understanding and pleasure, and to stretch our ears and imaginations. It is a book which will be greatly appreciated by those who already love classical music, and by others who want to explore this delightful world for the first time.

From inside the book

Contents

IV
21
V
26
VI
31
VII
39
VIII
47
IX
52
X
60
XI
68
XXXV
191
XXXVI
196
XXXVIII
203
XXXIX
209
XL
214
XLI
216
XLII
223
XLIII
231

XII
74
XIII
81
XIV
86
XVII
92
XVIII
97
XIX
103
XX
109
XXI
114
XXII
121
XXIII
129
XXIV
136
XXV
142
XXVI
147
XXVII
153
XXVIII
159
XXXI
164
XXXII
170
XXXIII
178
XXXIV
184
XLIV
238
XLV
245
XLVI
249
XLVII
251
XLVIII
253
XLIX
257
LI
263
LII
270
LIII
275
LIV
282
LV
287
LVI
292
LVII
297
LVIII
301
LIX
303
LX
305
LXI
307
Copyright

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page xv - Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: Make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp ; With the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet Make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
Page xv - And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess ; but be filled with the spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Page v - The florist, the planter, the gardener, the husbandman, when they are only as accomplishments to the man of fortune, are great reliefs to a country life, and many ways useful to those who are possessed of them.

About the author (1995)

JANE STUART SMITH has sung in the major opera houses of Europe and America. She presently lives at L'Abri Fellowship in Switzerland, where she lectures in music.

Bibliographic information