Musings: The Musical Worlds of Gunther Schuller: A Collection of his Writings

This collection of writings by Gunther Schuller–the first composer to be awarded the Elise L. Stoeger Composer’s Chair of the Chamber Society of Lincoln Center–provides a marvelous introduction to the man and his extraordinary range of musical experience, taste, and learning. In Part I, Jazz and the Third Stream, Schuller offers his reflections on jazz, insightful pieces on such figures as Duke Ellington, Cecil Taylor, and Sonny Rollins, and several essays on the third stream, the genre where jazz and classical music intersect. Part II, Music Performance and Contemporary Music, includes articles on the art of conducting, the future of opera, the question of a new classicism, and Schuller’s own thoughts on his controversial opera The Visitation. The final section, Music Aesthetics and Education, presents Schuller’s reflections on such matters as form, structure, and symbol in music; the need for broadening the audience for quality music; and his vision of the ideal conservatory and the total musician.