Michael Tippett's Fifth String Quartet: A Study in Vision and Revision (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781138218321)

Schuttenhelm provides a detailed account of the events leading up to and through the quartet's compositional process, as well as a brief summary of its reception history. In addition to a comprehensive analysis of the entire quartet, the volume also takes into account Tippett's preliminary attempts for the work and measures the significance its subsequent removal had upon the overall design. Evidence of an altered ending is also shown, together with an assessment of how this affected the proportions of the work. This commentary benefits from the author's extensive experience working with Tippett's letters, sketchbooks, and manuscripts.

About the Author

Thomas Schuttenhelm is a composer and guitarist working in a variety of media including music for the concert stage, theatre, dance, and performance art. His scholarly interests include: the history of the guitar, opera, and contemporary music performance practices and interpretation. He has published numerous books and articles including The Selected Letters of Michael Tippett and The Creative Development and the Compositional Process in the Orchestral Music of Michael Tippett. He was the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship, and in 2008 he was made a British Music Studies Fellow at the Harry Ransom Center.