From Publishers Weekly
Historian Gordon presents a thorough account of the life and works of the composer best known for his American stage adaptation of Bertold Brecht's The Threepenny Opera. In his own compositions, not well received in their own time and not often performed today, Blitzstein expressed his preoccupation with the political and social issues of his day. His operas of the 1930s (for example, The Cradle Will Rock and No for an Answer ) are statements of his commitment to the labor movement and to left-wing causes, and all of his later works contain bold social commentary. Gordon gives exhaustive synopses of the plots of Blitzstein's operas and theater pieces and discusses his life at length, especially his personal relationships and his homosexuality. The result is a detailed picture of a composer who used his music as a vehicle for propaganda long before the political protest music of the 1960s and '70s. A list of Blitzstein's compositions is included. Photographs not seen by PW.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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From Library Journal
Blitzstein has suffered years of unjust neglect, but lately his star has been on the ascendant, and this excellent biography will further boost his reputation. A socially conscious composer who strove to write serious yet accessible classical music for the American masses, Blitzstein produced an oeuvre that overall is uneven, though his greatest success, The Cradle Will Rock , is a landmark work in populist American musical theater. Historian Gordon has written an extraordinarily detailed and well-researched account of Blitzstein's life and achievements. The book is an invaluable socio-musical document as well, particularly in chronicling the activities of New York-based artists and literati during the Depression era. Gordon's style is crisp and compelling throughout. Highly recommended.
- Lar ry Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, Pa.Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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