Focusing on the movement of new monasticism, this book explores its spiritual landscape and unique contributions to contemporary church life. It combines practical experiences and narratives with reflective insights and liturgies, serving as a valuable resource for those engaged in or considering intentional communal living. The authors provide guidance on the distinctive calling and gifts of this movement, making it accessible for both practitioners and newcomers alike.
Mark Berry delves into the intricate political and religious themes within Wagner's Ring, analyzing the text and drama in detail. He examines the diverse intellectual influences that shaped Wagner during the lengthy creation of the work, alongside a rich array of source materials. This exploration offers a comprehensive understanding of how these elements intertwine in Wagner's masterpiece.
The story of ocean liners brought to life by objects and ephemera, revealing life on board, luxury and magnificence, and peril and disaster
Focusing on the evolution of music drama, the book explores significant works starting with Wagner's Parsifal and delves into compositions by notable composers such as Arnold Schoenberg, Richard Strauss, Luigi Dallapiccola, Luigi Nono, and Hans Werner Henze. It examines how these artists contributed to the genre, highlighting their innovative approaches and the impact of their works on the landscape of music drama.
The most radical and divisive composer of the twentieth century, Arnold Schoenberg remains a hero to many, and a villain to many others. In this refreshingly balanced biography, Mark Berry tells the story of Schoenberg’s remarkable life and work, situating his tale within the wider symphony of nineteenth- and twentieth-century history. Born in the Jewish quarter of his beloved Vienna, Schoenberg left Austria for his early career in Berlin as a leading light of Weimar culture, before being forced to flee in the dead of night from Hitler’s Third Reich. He found himself in the United States, settling in Los Angeles, where he would inspire composers from George Gershwin to John Cage. Introducing all of Schoenberg’s major musical works, from his very first compositions, such as the String Quartet in D Major, to his invention of the twelve-tone method, Berry explores how Schoenberg’s revolutionary approach to musical composition incorporated Wagnerian late Romanticism and the brave new worlds of atonality and serialism. Essential reading for anyone interested in the music and history of the twentieth century, this book makes clear Schoenberg changed the history of music forever.