In Quest of Spirit (with audio CD): Thoughts on Music (Ernest Bloch Lectures) Book

The interests of the British composer Jonathan Harvey are wide and varied, embracing Christianity, Buddhism, eastern and western philosophy, aesthetics, science, and mysticism. All affect his musical thinking and are a part of this unusual and personal book, which is accompanied by a compact disc featuring works discussed by the author. Harvey explores aspects of music that he connects with spirituality: self-identity, ambiguity, unity, stasis, and silence. In the course of his explorations he offers corroborating statements about music and spirituality from sources ranging from Nietzsche to Oliver Sacks. The book and CD include samples of his own music as well as of compositions by Mozart, Scriabin, Stockhausen, and others that help to illustrate the profoundness of what Harvey deems "the good listening experience." For Harvey, composing is his way of trying to live a life "skillfully" in the Buddhist sense. In Quest of Spirit is a window into his creative world and provides a sense of what music can mean at the moment of its inception. "An important contribution to a deeper understanding of the music of Jonathan Harvey, recognized as one of the leading composers active today. In Quest of Spirit offers important analytical guidance and intriguing interpretive insight into Harvey's compositions." --Kent Nagano, Music Director and Conductor, Halle Orchestra, Opera de Lyon, and Berkeley SymphonyRead More