Gardner Read: A Bio-Bibliography

Drawing on primary documents as well as interviews and letters, the authors of this book have created a portrait of one of America’s most distinguished and prolific composers whose creative output spans more than half a century. With its well organised, annotated and indexed bibliography, the book is a valuable research tool. Read’s notable accomplishments include an extensive catalogue of 150 opus numbers that run the gamut of instrumental combinations and musical genres, plus nine scholarly books dealing with various aspects of notation, orchestral devices and instrumental techniques. The biography describes Read’s family background, his early years growing up in Evanston, Illinois, his high school education, his years at the Eastman School of Music, his Cromwell fellowship to Europe, and his marriage to accomplished teacher/pianist, Margaret Vail Payne. Major events are highlighted during his years at St. Louis, Kansas City, Cleveland, and, finally, Boston. Interlochen, Tanglewood, the MacDowell Colony, the Huntington Hartford Foundation, as well as official visits to Mexico, are explored in terms of the role they played in the creative life of the composer. A major portion of the biography is devoted to Read’s opera, Villon. Readers should be interested in the completely annotated bibliography, which includes a complete listing of works, performances, reviews, discography, and literary writings. Appendixes include classified lists of instrumentation, commissions, awards, honours, positions, text sources, dedications, and manuscript locations.