foreign rights catalogue 2009 - composers & works

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Composers & Works

Carmina Burana von Carl OrffGenesis – Reception – TextEdited by Franz Willnauer

320 pages – paperback40 illustrations12,0 x 19,0 cm€ 14.95ISBN 978-3-254-08220-6 · SEM 8220

What music it must be, that it was always played when HenryMaske entered the boxing ring, music played at Michael Jack-son’s stage shows, music still used for charity events and com-mercials? Understood and tolerated as a work of codedsubversive character at the time of creation, misunderstood andmet with hostility as musical evidence of the composer’s con-curring beliefs seventy years later – nothing can prove the topi-cality of this seemingly ahistorical piece better than the uniquephenomenon of its history of reception.Although the Latin texts make it difficult to understandCarmina Burana, they are among the most frequently playedworks in the world of music. Taking account of documentationby the composer, this book traces the genesis and reception ofthe work and discusses the growing popularity of Carmina Bu-rana.

Franz Willnauer, born in Enns/Austria in 1933, studied psy-chology, theatre studies and German studies before working inthe publishing business and at several German theatres. From1999 to 2003 he was director of the International BeethovenFestival in Bonn; before he held comparable positions at theSalzburg Festival (1985–1991) and at the Schleswig-HolsteinMusic Festival (1995–1998).

All Rights Available

Scandalously popular!

Target group:People generally interested in music, musicologists, students, choir masters and singers

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Composers & Works

Arnold Werner-JensenOper internWork routines before and behind the scenes

224 pages – paperboundNumerous illustrations12 x 19 cm€ 12.95ISBN 978-3-254-08210-7 · SEM 8210

The opera, probably the most spectacular and demanding of all artforms, undoubtedly holds its very own fascination for the opera-goer, and many of them may ask how the often magnificent per-formances come about.This book reveals the secrets of the ‘stage’ and takes a look behindthe scenes. It grants an insight into the complex work processes andthe interplay of the different forces and factors that characterize thedaily routine of the music theatre: from the business, artistic and lit-erary directors via the artistic and technical staff, all sections anddepartments of an opera house are introduced to the reader. The de-scription of the development of a new production shows the numberof personnel as well as the expense and organisational and technicalefforts that are required to ensure a successful opera performance. An informative guide to the work at an opera-house – not only forfans of the opera.

Arnold Werner-Jensen, born in Innsbruck in 1941, studied schoolmusic, German language and literature as well as art history and dida PhD in musicology. Trained as a conductor, then grammar schoolteacher and music critic. Professor of music and music didactics inHeidelberg and Weingarten. Works as a pianist and harpsichordistwith concert performances and radio recordings. Numerous musico-educational and musicological publications.


The fascinating thing about the opera is that a new work of art takes shape every evening. Knut Sommer

A look behind the scenes of an opera-houseA concise description of all sections and activitiesRecommended by the Association of German Theatres

Target group:Opera and theatre lovers, graduates and students who want to work at a theatre

Helmut PerlDer Fall ZauberflöteMozart und die Illuminaten

The Case of The Magic FluteMozart and the Illuminati

200 pages – hardback15,0 x 22,5 cm€ 19.95ISBN 978-3-254-00271-6 · ATL 6271

For the first time, the libretto of the ‘Magic Flute’ is interpretedwithin the intellectual and historical context of the late 18th cen-tury. In Perl’s study, Mozart and his librettist Schikaneder arerevealed to be committed representatives of a radical late-En-lightenment movement, the ideology of the Illuminati, a secretsociety with the Viennese organisations of which Mozart main-tained a close relationship. Because of rigorous censure, the au-thors had to disguise the work’s message: The ‘Magic Flute’became a piece of allegorical theatre in which the acting charac-ters impersonate the two irreconcilable forces of the clergy andthe Illuminati. The original stage sets even showed a meetingplace of the Society in Salzburg. Thus, this opera, when viewedwith a new perspective, holds a mirror to the political events inthe Austria of Emperor Francis Joseph.

Ernst Helmut Perl (1927–2004) studied church and schoolmusic. Wrote a thesis on performance problems in 18th centurymusic. Has performed in concerts as an organist and cembalist.


The ‘Magic Flute’ interpretedin a new context

Target group:Mozart lovers, music and theatre lovers; music, theatre,literary and cultural historians

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Composers & Works

Philippe Olivier‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’ in Bayreuth. Von den Anfängen bis heute

‘The Nibelung’s Ring’in BayreuthFrom the beginning to the present

272 pages – hardback with dust jacket350 illustrations27,0 x 33,0 cm€ 49.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0594-7 · ED 20142

With the production of the ‘Ring’ by Tankred Dorst last year, the ‘Ring’productions looked back on a history of 130 years. 14 productions by 12 directors (the brothers Wieland and WolfgangWagner staged two productions each) are proof of the inexhaustabilityof Richard Wagner’s opera tetralogy. Again and again, great opera direc-tors (after the Wagner family itself) have taken on the colossal challengeof a production: from Patrice Chéreau and Peter Hall to Harry Kupferand Jürgen Flimm. Unlike anywhere else in the world, Bayreuth is theplace to study the context of its history and theatre aesthetics. Hence, alook into the history of the ‘Ring’ in Bayreuth is a look not only into theunique chronicle of the performance history of Richard Wagner’s great-est masterpiece but also into the history of the Bayreuth Festival, thusmaking this illustrated volume a unique document of opera history and amust-have for every Wagner fan.

Philippe Olivier, Alsatian writer, TV author and musicologist, was bornin 1952. From 1975–1993 he worked as a producer with the broadcast-ing company France Musiques, from 1994–1998 as a marketing directorwith the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, and since April 2007has been guest professor at the Rostock Hochschule für Musik und The-ater. He has published numerous books and produced various films, es-pecially about Richard Wagner and his descendants.


12 productions from the 130-year history of the ‘Ring’ inBayreuth in a richly illustrated de luxe edition

Target group:Wagner fans, Bayreuth visitors, opera lovers, people interested in cultural and contemporary history

Enrico Nawrath, Katharina WagnerBayreuth backstageInterior views of the Green Hill

ca. 120 pages – hardbound with dust jacketNumerous illustrations24 x 30 cm € 29.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0196-3 · ED 20485

Every summer for five weeks, the Eastern Franconian town ofBayreuth turns into the metropolis of festival music. Music loversfrom all over the world pilgrimage to the Green Hill to enjoy per-formances of the works of Richard Wagner. But a visitor hardlythinks about the huge amount of time and effort involved. Thehighly praised ‘Bayreuth Workshop’ has always been a real work-shop – including a carpenter, locksmith, dyer and festival smith. For Katharina Wagner, the composer’s great-granddaughter, thismagic world was the playground of her childhood. Today, the ‘artis-tic cooperative’ forms the basis of her own productions. In this il-lustrated book, she and the photographer Enrico Nawrath take theopera lover on a journey behind the scenes of the festival theatre.

Enrico Nawrath attended the Dresden Palucca School and theBerlin State Ballet School from 1988–1993 where he trained as astage dancer. Since 1994 he has also worked as a photographer.2006–2008 production photographer of the Berlin State Ballet. In2008 photographer of the Bayreuth Festival.Katharina Wagner, born in Bayreuth in 1978, studied theatre artsin Berlin. From 1996 assistant director to Harry Kupfer and at theBayreuth Festival. In 2002 debut as director, in 2007 first Bayreuthproduction under her direction (The Mastersingers).


A look into the wonderworld of the ‘Bayreuth Workshop’

Edited and containing an essay by Wagner’s great-grand-daughter Katharina WagnerWith unpublished photos of the 2008 Bayreuth FestivalThe perfect gift for all Bayreuth fans

Target group:Wagner fans, opera lovers, musicians

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Composers & Works

Herbert HaffnerDie Berliner PhilharmonikerEine Biographie

The Berlin Philharmonic OrchestraA biography

320 pages – hardback with dust jacket 30 illustrations13,5 x 21,5 cm€ 24.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0590-9 · ED 20104

The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra has not only seen and car-ried its share of the eventful history of its home town. Being oneof the world’s most important concert orchestras, it has, in addi-tion, become an excellent ambassador of culture.Herbert Haffner tells the story of the Berlin Philharmonic Or-chestra – from its formation in 1882 out of the BilsescheKapelle (Bilse’s Band) via the period of inflation, two WorldWars, the Berlin Airlift and the German reunification until thepresent day. Haffner does not conceal economic and personalcrises, showing that the development of the orchestra mirrorsthe social and political circumstances of the time. The history ofthe Philharmonic Orchestra is marked, almost as strongly, bythe continuous reorientation towards its principal conductors,from Hans von Bülow via Arthur Nikisch, Wilhelm Furtwän-gler, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado to Sir Simon Rattle.This is not just a book on music, but also an entertaining ac-count of the cultural history of Germany and of the ever-chang-ing city of Berlin!

Herbert Haffner lives in Freiburg/Breisgau and works as a free-lance cultural journalist for numerous national and foreign news-papers, magazines and radio stations. He has published articles,books and broadcasts on the musical life of today and on the the-atre from the 18th century to the modern age. 2003 saw the pub-lication of his highly acclaimed biography on Furtwängler.

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‘The Berlin Philharmonic is an exceptional orchestra.’ FAZ

Target group:Lovers of classical music, musicians, readers interested in cultural history

Ralf StabelIM TänzerThe dance and the State Security Service

240 pages – hardbound with dust jacket30 illustrations13,5 x 21,5€ 24.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0165-9 · ED 20278

The ballet was an excellent export of the GDR. Classical danceand new artistic dance were in great demand all over the worlddue to excellent training centres and state funding. Embodyingyouth and innocence, they lent the system a human counte-nance.But like all spheres of life in the GDR, the dance theatre too waseyed by the Ministry of State Security, and the large number ofIM [unofficial collaborator] files gives rise to the question as towhether the State Security Service had a particularly easy jobhere, at a place of artistic deception, play-acting and intrigue.With the help of documents from the Birthler Authority, the ac-tions of persons involved and persons concerned are for the firsttime described in a comprehensible, yet oppressive way, withoutwanting to provoke any understanding for the actions of the re-sponsible persons.

Ralf Stabel studied theatre arts and choreography in Leipzigand did his PhD in Bremen on dance and politics. Professor ofdance dramaturgy and dance history at the Dresden PaluccaSchool and at the Berlin ‘Ernst Busch’ Academy of DramaticArt. Today, he is director of the Berlin State Ballet School. Hiswidely acclaimed Palucca biography was published by the Hen-schel Verlag in 2001.


A different kind of dance history of the GDR

An exciting historic documentNew findings from documents of the Birthler AuthorityThe first account of this topic

Target group:Readers interested in contemporary and dance history,dancers

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Composers & Works

Manuel NegwerVilla-LobosThe dawn of Brazilian music

240 pages with CD – hardback30 illustrations13,5 x 21,5 cm€ 22.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0168-0 · ED 20316

Heitor Villa-Lobos is regarded as one of the most important andinternationally most successful composers of Latin America.His comprehensive oeuvre combines traditional Brazilian withEuropean art music in a many-faceted way. Despite all this, hismusic has more or less been ignored in German-language litera-ture until today. This gap is now closed by the present mono-graph which is at the same time a comprehensive study ofcultural trends in Brazil of the first half of the 20th century. Forthe first time, the national traditions that influenced Villa-Lobosare documented in great detail and related to his compositionaloeuvre. A monograph that combines biographical facts with in-formation on the cultural and contemporary history of Villa-Lobos’ home country in a fascinating way.

Manuel Negwer, born in Berlin in 1952, grew up in Argentina,Angola and Italy. Studied musicology and Romance languagesand literature in Berlin and Würzburg. PhD in 1982. Freelancerof SFB, RIAS, Deutsche Welle and the Berlin Festival, at thesame time working as a guitarist. From 1985 lecturer at variousGoethe Institutes, such as in Brazil. Since 2008 head of the de-partment ‘Amateur music-making and encouragement of up-and-coming musicians’. Main focus: Latin American music andliterature.

Sold to Brazil

‘A piece of Brazil’s cultural and contemporary history’The only available biography of the most important composerof Latin AmericaA musical bridge between Brazil and Europe

Including CD with recordings under the direction of Villa-Lobos

Target group:Lovers of classical music, readers of biographies, musicologists, fans of Brazil, people interested in cul-tural history

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Composers & Works

Spitzen-VariationenThe Berlin State Ballet and Vladimir MalakhovThe company book Vol. IEdited by Christiane TheobaldPhotos by Sandra Hastenteufel

176 pages – hardback350 4-colour images24,0 x 27,0 cm€ 49.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0576-3 · ED 20022

The first chapter of a new era in German dance history has beenwritten: In ‘Spitzen-Variationen’, both the director and the en-semble of the Berlin State Ballet take a first look back. The di-rector Vladimir Malakhov, one of the most renowned andprominent artists in ballet, responded to a call to Berlin to makethe newly founded Berlin State Ballet, the largest dance com-pany of Germany, one of the top ensembles of the internationaldance scene. This edition helps to relive the eight great pre-mieres and twelve repertoire pieces of the past two seasons.Complemented by portraits of all dancers, backstage picturesand rehearsal photos, this illustrated book is a real visual de-light.

Sandra Hastenteufel is professor of fine arts at the CornellUniversity in Rome. Since her studies at the Stuttgart StateAcademy of Fine Arts, she has worked on several exhibitionsand projects. From 2004–2006, the former winner of a VillaMassimo scholarship was the official photographer of the BerlinState Ballet. Christiane Theobald is the company manager andassistant artistic director of the Berlin State Ballet.


This illustrated bookis a real visual delight

Target group:Ballet and dance lovers, ballet dancers, fans of Vladimir Malakhov

InsideDas Staatsballett Berlin und Vladimir MalakhovInside – The Berlin State Ballet and Vladimir MalakhovThe company book Vol. IIEdited by Christiane TheobaldPhotos by Enrico Nawrath

128 pages – hardback309 4-colour images24,0 x 27,0 cm€ 24.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0195-6 · ED 20480

In this illustrated book, the Berlin State Ballet, Germany’slargest dance company, and its director Vladimir Malakhov, oneof the most renowned and prominent representatives of the in-ternational ballet scene, again give the readers a fascinating in-sight into their joint work: Inside not only provides impressionsof the rehearsals, but especially brings the ten premieres as wellas the two revivals of the last two seasons back to life. In addi-tion, the illustrated book contains individual portraits of all en-semble members. The company book Vol. II – a visual delightfor all lovers of the ballet.

Christiane Theobald is the company manager and assistantartistic director of the Berlin State Ballet.Enrico Nawrath attended the Dresden Palucca School and theBerlin State Ballet School from 1988–1993 where he trained asa stage dancer. From 1993 he performed engagements at theBerlin State Opera Unter den Linden, the Dresden Semperoperand the Berlin Deutsche Oper; since 1994 he has also worked asa photographer. 2006–2008 he was production photographer ofthe Berlin State Ballet and in 2008 photographer of theBayreuth Festival.


This illustrated bookis a real visual delight

Target group:Ballet and dance lovers, ballet dancers, fans of Vladimir Malakhov

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Composers & Works

Malakhovs DornröschenSeitensprünge mit dem Staatsballett Berlin

Malakhov’s Sleeping BeautyEscapades with the Berlin State BalletEdited by Frank Sistenich andChristiane TheobaldPhotographies by Monika Rittershaus

160 pages – hardback130 b/w and 160 4-colour images24,5 x 33,5 cm€ 39.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0544-2 · ED 9965

Nureyev used to call ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ the ‘ballet of theballets’. In autumn 2005, Vladimir Malakhov choreographed asumptuous new production of this work for his ensemble, theBerlin State Ballet. Together, with the dancer of the century asdirector, the greatest and most important ballet ensemble of Germany have realized a production that will go down in dancehistory.In this unique illustrated book, the photographer Monika Ritters -haus allows us to share in the creation of this production. Shedocuments the work of the whole company, alternating betweenpersonal impressions and glamourous ballet photography. Sheshows us a new modern interpretation of one of the major reper-toire pieces of classical ballet in compelling pictures. This photoessay is complemented by annotations by Christiane Theobaldand Frank Sistenich.

Monika Rittershaus is one of the most renowned stage photog-raphers of Germany. Frank Sistenich works as a freelance journalist and publicist,teacher of International Marketing, Leisure and Tourism Studiesand Economic Communication. Christiane Theobald is the company manager and assistantartistic director of the Berlin State Ballet.


Personal impressions combined with glamourous ballet photography

Target group:Ballet and dance lovers, fans of Vladimir Malakhov

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Composers & Works

Siegfried Tesche»Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang«The history of the James Bond filmthemes

176 pages with CD – paperback17,7 x 17,7 cm€ 19.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0567-1 · ED 20007

The songs accompanying the adventures of the most famousagent of Her Majesty’s Secret Service have received GoldenGlobes and Academy Award nominations, and the list of per-formers reads like the Who Is Who of the international musicscene – Louis Armstrong, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner,Madonna and many more. In addition, the original versionswere followed by a large number of cover versions, re-record-ings and arrangements by other famous performers and orches-tras. In an entertaining and well-informed manner, Germany’sforemost expert on James Bond, Siegfried Tesche, recounts theexciting and sometimes odd story of the James Bond musicthemes, their performers as well as numerous anecdotes. Bondco-producer Harry Saltzman, for example, hated ‘Goldfinger’by Shirley Bassey which was the reason why the song was al-most not featured in the film. The fact that this song, of allsoundtracks sold millions of copies probably greatly annoyedhim.

Siegfried Tesche, born in 1957, graduated in film studies andworks as a freelance journalist for newspapers, radio and televi-sion companies. Out of enthusiasm for the British gentlemanagent, he has amassed one of the largest Bond collections in theworld and published several books on Bond.


The exciting and sometimes odd story of the James Bond musics

Target group:James Bond fans, lovers of film music, fan and film clubs

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Composers & Works

Barbara Distler-HarthHugo Distler

390 pages – paperback14 x 22 cm€ 22.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0182-6 · ED 20399

Hugo Distler was one of the most important German composersof sacred and secular choral music in the first half of the 20th

century. Born in 1908 and raised as an orphan, he created a vastoeuvre of choral and instrumental music within a few years. His‘Mörike-Chorliederbuch’ forms part of the standard repertoireof major choirs throughout the world. The meteoric rise of HugoDistler came to an end in 1942 when the 34-year-old committedsuicide. Soon after, legends grew up around him: Some stylizedhim as a martyr to Nazi tyranny, others alleged that he had beeninvolved in the Nazi movement as an accomplice. But what hadactually happened then? Hugo Distler’s daughter Barbara hasportrayed the story of his life in an authentic, yet very captivat-ing way. With an introduction by Karl Corino.

Barbara Distler-Harth studied philosophy, political scienceand developmental psychology in Braunschweig and Munich.She published articles on issues of child development and thebuilding of a human, democratic society. Barbara Distler-Harthhas three grown-up children and lives in Munich as a freelanceauthor.


Target group: Biography readers

Werner PfisterFritz WunderlichBiography

460 pages with CD – hardback17,0 x 24,5 cm€ 29.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0536-7 · ED 9910

When the conductor Paul Edmund Wunderlich notified the reg-istrar of Kusel of the birth of his son Friedrich Otto in early Oc-tober 1930, no one would have guessed that one of the greatestsinging talents of the post-war period had been born. Within afew years, Wunderlich had conquered the opera houses and con-cert halls of Europe and was the most important German-speak-ing lyric tenor of his time.The biography by Werner Pfister was published again in a spe-cial edition to mark the 75th birthday of Fritz Wunderlich. Com-plemented by a CD which presents the most important stages ofWunderlich’s musical career, the publisher now offers this bookas a special gift in honour of this great singer who died toosoon.

Werner Pfister works as a music journalist.

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A special gift in honour of a great singer

Target group: Fans of Fritz Wunderlich, voice lovers, biography read-ers

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Composers & Works

Alexander Werner Carlos KleiberBiography

550 pages – hardback with dust jacket30 illustrations17,0 x 24,5 cm€ 29.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0598-5 · ED 20225

For many people, Carlos Kleiber (1930–2004) is the most im-portant conductor of the late 20th century. He was certainly themost problematic one.Having grown up with the burden of his dominant father ErichKleiber, he struggled with his demand for perfection throughouthis whole life. Being one of the most sought-after conductors,Carlos Kleiber did not accept any permanent appointment foryears. His number of appearances was small and his officialdiscography minimal, however, his charisma was legendary andhe has a large number of fans. The guarantor of magic musicalmoments remained a mystery, though. His biographer Alexan-der Werner has tried to approach Kleiber, the man and artist, byfinding out about the stages and stations of his life and question-ing many of his contemporaries about the ‘secret of Kleiber’.

Alexander Werner, born in Karlsruhe in 1961, studied litera-ture and history. From 1991–1995 he worked as a trainee andeditor with the Badische Neueste Nachrichten, from 1995 withStandpunkte, since 2000 as editor-in-chief with the Baden mag-azine Standpunkte with Chrismon plus. He has written numer-ous articles on classical music, interviews and CD reviews.The result of many years of research, taking numerous originalinterviews and unpublished documents into account.

Sold to Japan

‘World conductor, exceptional maestro, carrier of the celestialflame’

Target group: Kleiber fans, lovers of classical music, concert-goers,people interested in cultural history

Jürgen Hocker Begegnungen mit Conlon NancarrowBiography

Paperback with CD16,9 x 26,3 cm€ 39.90ISBN 978-3-7957-0476-6 · NZ 5003

‘Nancarrow’s music is the greatest discovery since Webern and Ives.’György Ligeti

The American composer Conlon Nancarrow became famous for hiscomplex compositions for player piano. In his Mexican exile he wrotean extremely original and at the same time emotional music which con-tributed to the further development of 20th-century music, beyondtwelve-note technique and serialism.Jürgen Hocker accompanied Nancarrow in the last two decades of hislife and now tells about Nancarrow’s stages as a composer and about hispersonality.The CD accompanying the book contains recordings of music by Nan-carrow, some of them previously unreleased, as well as musico-histori-cal recordings for mechanical pianos. With its combination ofmusicological work and biography, the present publication is aimed atboth academics and a wide public interested in modern music.

Press reviews:

‘… an impressive amount of biographical facts and authentic documents(…) which form a detailed picture… and not forgetting the accompany-ing CD which not only provides an excellent overview of Nancarrow’soeuvre for player piano but also contains a few gems from the pioneeryears of the self-playing piano.’

Peter Niklas Wilson in: Neue Zürcher Zeitung

‘… With his tricky pieces for mechanical piano, the composer and ec-centric Conlon Nancarrow has made a significant contribution to themusic history of the 20th century. It is due to a new book … that he isnow discovered for the second time. … You can read Jürgen Hocker’sbook while strolling, meeting scouts like René Block or Monika Fürst-Heidtmann in side streets, György Ligeti who praises him tirelessly andunselfishly in Europe (…) Charles Amirkhanian … or James Tenney …’

Konrad Heidtkamp in: DIE ZEIT/Musik


Target group: Biography readers

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Composers & Works

Willi Kollo‘Als ich jung war in Berlin…’Musical and literary memories

250 pages with CD – hardback with dust jacket40 b&w illustrations13,5 x 21,5 cm€ 22.95ISBN 978-3-7957-0194-9 · ED 20484

They were some of the brightest and the darkest years in the his-tory of the musical metropolis of Berlin: from the foundingyears via the roaring twenties to the Third Reich. And right atthe heart of it were the composers Walter and Willi Kollo. WilliKollo’s notes on the musical career of his father, one of themasters of the Berlin operetta, and on his own work as an au-thor, composer, revue performer and director are a treasure ofGerman cultural history. With much humour and thoughtful-ness, Kollo looks back on the Berlin of the period 1890–1946and recalls prominent artists such as Claire Waldoff, Fritzi Mas-sary, Carl Zuckmayer and others. A family chronicle and a greatmusical and literary biography.

Walter Kollo (1878–1940) studied at the conservatoires of Son-dershausen and Königsberg. In 1907 he came to Berlin wherehe composed more than 50 operettas until the end of the 1930s.Willi Kollo (1904–1988) collaborated with his father as a libret-tist from 1923. From 1928 he was a successful author of cabaretrevues and screenplays as well as a composer of hit songs andfilm music.Marguerite Kollo administers the comprehensive familyarchive and edited and compiled the notes of her father, WilliKollo, in this book. She is a music publisher and artists’ agentand represented her brother René Kollo for many years.


The story of a family of musicians from BerlinAn undiscovered treasure of German cultural history.A family chronicle with a shot of syrup – from the foundingyears to the Third Reich

Including a CD with historic recordings

Target group: People interested in Berlin and cultural history, lovers of the operetta, readers of biographies, Kollo fans

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Composers & Works

Christoph SchwandtLeoš JanácekBiography

240 pages – paperback12 x 19 cm€ 14.95ISBN 978-3-254-08412-5 · SEM 8412

No other composer stands for the lively blend of traditional andmodern music as does Leoš Janácek. His œuvre is a fusion ofnational identity and universal humanism. Born in Moravia in1854, Janácek did not become known beyond the borders of hissmall native country until the age of 60; but then he gainedworldwide fame very quickly, particularly thanks to his operasJenufa and Katya Kabanova, the Sinfonietta as well as chambermusic works. His unique tonal language, close to the text, is im-mediately accessible to the listener but challenges him neverthe-less. Today, Janácek’s compositions rank among the classics ofmodern music. With this book, Christoph Schwandt presents thefirst ‘handy’, yet comprehensive biography of the Czech com-poser in a lively and well-informed manner, which also takes alook at the historical and cultural background of that time andgrants interested music lovers wide-ranging access to the lifeand work of Janácek.

Christoph Schwandt, born in Bad Homburg in 1956, was em-ployed at the theatres of Oldenburg, Bonn and Essen as well asat the Salzburg Festival in a managerial capacity. Since 2002 hehas been literary director of the Opera of Cologne. As an author,he has published biographies of Georges Bizet and GiuseppeVerdi, among others.


Target group: Lovers of Music, fans of Janá ek, musicians, students,readers of biographies

foreign rights catalogue 2009 - composers & works

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