Jonathan Del Mar – författare

This is the final book in the magnificent series of advice on conducting the repertoire that Norman Del Mar had been writing until his death in February 1994. As with the previous books, each chapter is devoted to a specific work, and once again all the major orchestral works of this important composer are covered. The book culminates in an important study of The Dream of Gerontius, and it was in the middle of this chapter that Norman was forced to lay down his pen. His son, Jonathan, himself a conductor, was with him in hospital helping him, and knew what line the chapter should take. He has now completed this and seen the whole book through the press with authority and devotion. Norman Del Mar renowned in his generation as the principal interpreter of English music and in particular for his understanding of Elgar. His explanations of the subtleties of guiding an orchestra through these magnificanet scores will be a lasting memorial to his lifework and invaluable help to all those who seek to clarify this elusive music. Elgar's own recordings are frequently drawn upon, but by no means always accepted, the changing fashions of interpretation being a constantly changing subject.

This apparently haphazard collection of essays on the interpretation of more unusual concert pieces was chosen partly with a view to more imaginative programme planning, the other requirement being that each piece is by a composer whose output would never make up a whole book. There are many composers who wrote one, or two, masterpieces, yet failed to leave a worthy oeuvre; these are often forgotten when building programmes, yet they enhance so many when brought to mind. This compilation spans a little over a hundred years from the 19th and 20th centuries and all are colourful and attractive. Once again Norman Del Mar brings us his expertise in handling the orchestra over a wide variety of styles and complicated instrumentation, his compulsive enthusiasm and broad knowledge being an invaluable guide to both the aspiring conductor, the expert, and the music-loving listener alike. The twenty-two essays range from Russia to Spain, from Schönberg to Kodály, from Wolf to Poulenc, with such firm favourites as La Forza del Destino revealing unexpected tricky moments and the Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia from Peter Grimes full of hints and advice straight from Britten himself, for Norman Del Mar worked for many years with him at Aldeburgh and on tour with the English Opera Group.

WINNER: International Association of Music Libraries, UK & Ireland (IAML UK & Irl) C.B. Oldman AwardFor an outstanding work of music bibliography, music reference or music librarianshipA must-have for any conductor, conducting student and orchestral librarian.How does a conductor know whether the score they use is what the composer wrote? How do orchestral players know that their parts are reliable and reflect the latest scholarship? As Jonathan Del Mar reminds us in this ground-breaking book, editions of the orchestral repertoire are beset by textual problems: simple misprints, mistakes in the score or player's part, or hopelessly outdated scores at odds with current scholarship. Driven by a fundamental respect for what the composer actually wrote, Jonathan Del Mar addresses these problems through textual reports on over 100 orchestral masterpieces of classical music. Each report is introduced with essential guidance and succinct commentary on the first performance and publication of the work. Critical editions are compared with commonly used editions, and in those cases where no Urtext Edition exists, this much-needed reference work functions as a replacement for an Urtext Edition. Orchestral Masterpieces under the Microscope will be an indispensable reference tool for all who care about performances honouring the correct text that composers have left us. It serves as an essential survival guide for conductors and musicians to make informed choices, and it offers much-needed clarity on the latest scholarship for musicologists and music librarians alike.