{"product_id":"friend-s-guide-to-chamber-music-book-nancy-monsman-9780692163672","title":"A Friend's Guide to Chamber Music","description":"\u003cp\u003eTraditionally, it's the music that speaks from the stage, not the\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003emusicians themselves. By the beginning of the 20th century, the\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003econcert hall and the music chamber were no longer regarded as\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eappropriate venues for loud conversing, heavy drinking, reckless\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003egambling, and high-society ogling. The concert, formerly regarded\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eas a means of light if elegant entertainment, had become a sacred\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003erite. Musicians and audience members alike were now expected to\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003esit down, shut up, and focus solely and worshipfully on the music.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you were surprised or confused by the music, nobody could\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ehelp you--except the person who had written the explanatory\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003enotes in the printed program you clutched in your hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eToday, the atmosphere is a bit more casual, though thankfully\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003enot the free-for-all it had been in the 18th century. Performers seem\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003emore relaxed; their dress is often more laid-back, their body language\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elooser. And many of them are eager to say a few unscripted\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewords to the audience, especially if they are introducing unfamiliar\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003emusic.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuite frequently now, an ensemble will arrive in Tucson for an\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArizona Friends of Chamber Music concert expecting to give some\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eintroductory remarks about a new or unusual composition they're\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eabout to play. Then they open the printed program, read Nancy\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMonsman's notes, and realize that all the essential information is\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ealready there. They end up telling a couple of amusing anecdotes\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eand urging that people learn more by reading, in their words, the\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eexcellent notes in your programs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eresources, and I have strong opinions about how notes should be\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewritten. It is my strong opinion that Nancy Monsman's program\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003enotes are models of clarity and concision, providing exactly the\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003einformation you need before the music takes over. When you're\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eseated in the concert hall, waiting for the downbeat, you don't have\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003emuch time to read up on what you're about to hear. There's no way\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eyou could get through a chapter of cultural background on each\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003epiece, followed by a detailed technical analysis. You need notes\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethat, in a very few paragraphs, can set the scene for the composer\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eand the composition, then provide just enough detail to help you\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efind your way through the music you are about to hear.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNancy's notes provide exactly that sort of guide. And now we\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eare proud to present that guide in a format you can consult at your\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eleisure, and at your pleasure, particularly if you'd like on your own\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eto trace a composer's career more systematically than you can in a\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003esingle concert. Let this be your knowledgeable companion as you\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eexplore the puzzles and delights of European chamber music.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJAMES REEL\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePresident, Arizona Friends of Chamber Music\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49564011757841,"sku":"CIN0692163670G","price":7.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51005911302417,"sku":"NIN9780692163672","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0692163670.jpg?v=1750743220","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/products\/friend-s-guide-to-chamber-music-book-nancy-monsman-9780692163672","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}