Eight Symphonic Masterworks of the Twentieth Century

Leonard Slatkin dives deeply into eight symphonic masterworks from the twentieth century and presents advice for physically conducting the pieces, tricks of the trade, interpretive possibilities, and life-long lessons for conductors. This book covers works by Debussy, Shostakovich, Bartók, Stravinsky, Gershwin, Copland, Barber, and Britten.

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Based on his decades of experience conducting these works, Leonard Slatkin delves into eight of the most beloved orchestral pieces of the twentieth century and the problems conductors face before stepping onto the podium. These works are:



Claude Debussy’s La Mer
Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5
Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra
Igor Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring)
George Gershwin’s An American in Paris
Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite
Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings
Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

Each essay includes some history, what to understand before the first rehearsal, and an almost bar-by-bar guide to the pieces. It goes into what conductors need to know during the score study process, as well as in rehearsal and performance, to bring a work to life. Slatkin also shares many tricks of the trade aimed at making rehearsals as efficient as possible and includes engaging anecdotes useful for learning the works.

These essays will open up the world of score study to conductors, other musicians, and students interested in expanding their knowledge of these eight works.