Paul Mathews

Inside Pierrot lunaire: Performing the Sprechstimme in Schoenberg's Masterpiece is a handbook on the performance and interpretation of the recitation in Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot lunaire, op. 21. Presenting a guide for the listener and an aid to the interpreter of the 21 melodramas, the book provides an original English translation of each poem, annotated with references to other poems in the cycle, including some of the texts Schoenberg omitted. The volume also offers an analysis of the Sprechstimme in each melodrama in the context of the surrounding texture and directed by the principles of analysis Schoenberg established in his essays and lectures. Inside Pierrot lunaire makes a case for the importance of the notated pitches in a correct performance of the Sprechstimme. Acclaimed singer Phyllis Bryn-Julson and music theorist Paul Mathews provide a method for performing the Sprechstimme that considers Schoenberg's performing directions, his sometimes-contradictory statements, the recording Schoenberg conducted in 1939, and the burgeoning scholarship on speech-melody. Bryn-Julson and Mathews also examine the role played by Albertine Zehme, the singing actress who commissioned Pierrot, whose part in its creation has been minimized in previous studies. The discussion of Sprechstimme is informed by a genuine oral tradition running from Eduard Steuermann, the pianist who coached Zehme's premiere of the piece, to Ms. Bryn-Julson's own interpretation. The volume also provides a bibliography of sources and an index.

Although titled Orchestration, this tome is more instrumentation than orchestration. Forsyth goes into considerable detail with regards to how the different instruments of the orchestra work and what they are capable of, as opposed to how they are used in an orchestral context, which is mostly implied. Copious examples are provided throughout the book from classical repertoire, though given the original publishing date, these do not include anything composed after 1914. Forsyth also includes many instruments rarely composed for, either due to rarity or to obsolescence, such as less common transpositions or antiquated instruments. This thoroughness is appreciated however, as they contribute not just to completeness, but to the overall theory of the various instrument types. Throughout the book, Forsyth speaks in an irreverent tone, especially for the period, and will often discuss at length topics for which he is passionate, especially when he dislikes something. Following the initial printing, he even begrudgingly included an additional chapter on the highland bagpipes, having received a letter from a reader who was offended by their initial exclusion.