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Used Good - All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media Used Good - All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media See less

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Surprised by Beauty: A Listener's Guide to the Recovery of Modern Music Paperback – May 4, 2016

by Robert Reilly (Author)

4.9 26 ratings

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The best music of the 20th century "developed our capacity for feeling, deepened our compassion, and furthered our quest for and understanding of what Aristotle called 'the perfect end of life' ".
— from the Foreword by NPR music critic Ted Libbey

The single greatest crisis of the 20th century was the loss of faith. Noise—and its acceptance as music—was the product of the resulting spiritual confusion and, in its turn, became the further cause of its spread. Likewise, the recovery of modern music, the theme to which this book is dedicated, stems from a spiritual recovery. This is made explicitly clear by the composers whose interviews with the author are collected in this book.

Robert Reilly spells out the nature of the crisis and its solution in sections that serve as bookends to the chapters on individual composers. He does not contend that all of these composers underwent and recovered from the central crisis he describes, but they all lived and worked within its broader context, and soldiered on, writing beautiful music. For this, they suffered ridicule and neglect, and he believes their rehabilitation will change the reputation of modern music.

It is the spirit of music that this book is most about, and in his efforts to discern it, Reilly has discovered many treasures. The purpose of this book is to share them, to entice you to listen—because beauty is contagious. English conductor John Eliot Gardiner writes that experiencing Bach's masterpieces "is a way of fully realizing the scale and scope of what it is to be human". The reader may be surprised by how many works of the 20th and 21st centuries of which this is also true.

Print length

510 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Ignatius Press
Publication date

May 4, 2016
Dimensions

6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

9781586179052
ISBN-13

978-1586179052
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Robert Reilly is at all times attuned to a composer's spiritual inner strength but balanced by a vital and original intellectual stamina. He is a pleasure to read and a treasure to cherish."
— David Diamond, Composer

p>"Reilly's vision of music is profoundly spiritual, expressive of what is best and most enriching in human life, and having the possibility of leading us to encounter God Himself."
— Stephen Hough, Composer and Pianist p>"Reilly is a critic with open ears and a disciplined mind that helps him to understand and explain the larger significance of what he's hearing."
— Terry Teachout, Music Critic, Commentary

"Thanks to Robert Reilly for his clear and unequivocal chronicling of the recovery of the truth of music's deepest connection with that which is numinous and, indeed, sacred."
— Samuel Jones, Composer

p>"Reilly brings his impressive knowledge of music to bear on the most human of our experiences with a refreshing clarity and personal directness. More than anything else, Surprised by Beauty makes us glad."
— Peter Kalkavage, Modern Age p>"It is rare that one can offer such unbounded enthusiasm for a book about modern music, yet I can confidently state that this book is a joy for both layman and music expert alike. Surprised by Beauty provides a valuable and illuminating perspective, all while providing the surprise promised in the title."
— Mark Nowakowski, Foundation for the Sacred Arts

"Reilly is very good in talking about the philosophy and history of music, and the importance of modern music, especially sacred music, but also its beauty. It is this beauty that Reilly makes every effort in this excellent book to teach us how to find."
— James V. Schall, S.J., Georgetown University

p>"This book is a work of love. Every page is filled with longing for beauty, yearning for the transcendent to be made perceptible. Reilly is a faithful guide and will lead many of his readers to musical beauty where they did not expect to find it."
— Christopher Flannery, Claremont Review of Books p>"Robert Reilly has done music lovers a service by reminding us that 'modern music' and 'beauty' are not always enemies."
— Lee Bockhorn, Weekly Standard

About the Author

Robert R. Reilly is Director of the Westminster Institute. In his twenty-five years of government service, he served as Special Assistant to the President and as Director of the Voice of America, and he was also Senior Advisor for Information Strategy to the Secretary of Defense, and taught at National Defense University. He attended Georgetown University and the Claremont Graduate University, and he has published widely on American politics and morals, foreign policy, and classical music. His other books include Making Gay Okay: How Rationalizing Homosexual Behavior Is Changing Everything, Surprised by Beauty: A Listener's Guide to the Recovery of Modern Music, and The Closing of the Muslim Mind: How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamist Crisis.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1586179055
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ignatius Press; New edition (May 4, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 510 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781586179052
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1586179052
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,850,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,484 in Classical Music (Books)
- #4,859 in Music History & Criticism (Books)

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4.9 26 ratings

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Extollager

Fills a niche

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2003

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I should say right off that I am deliberately taking my time to read this book & haven't read every chapter yet. I know of nothing quite like it, though. A feature I want, at this point, particularly to commend is the way the author has (1) of conveying his delight in, and the meaningfulness of, the music as he has experienced it, while (2) somehow saying enough that this reader, at least, can distinguish between the sure bets and the iffy ones from the reader's own point of view. Thus I credit Reilly (and the wonderful Samuel Palmer cover art) for putting me on to the Chandos recordings of the symphonies of Edmund Rubbra -- once I bought and listened to a CD of his symphonies 4, 10, & 11, I knew I would want more. One of Reilly's fine columns in Crisis Magazine put me on to Joly Braga Santos -- sure enough, I enjoyed the work (Symphony #4) praised there, as well. The Naxos CD of Douglas Lilburn's symphonies is another example. On the other hand, while Reilly likes Martinu and Nielsen, what he says about these composers conveys important things about their work such that someone like me who is not enchanted would have sufficient warning that this is someone to hear first before buying. I hope that in a few years there can be a sequel to this book. In the meantime, I'm glad to have a copy of Surprised by Beauty and to be able to read Mr. Reilly's columns in Crisis.

27 people found this helpful

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SaguaroGeorge

Covers a lot of material not covered in other guides

Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2021

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I'm not in full agreement with many of the opinions expressed in this compendium, but it covers a lot of music I haven't seen covered elsewhere, and is in that sense invaluable.

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Books n' music fan

The overlooked and sidelined hidden treasures of music

Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2013

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A topic that has surprisingly little exploration, music that was passed over for being only beautiful and not strange and nihilistic. Reilly goes back through the 20th century to encourage the reader to look again at the great works that were created by composers who's only mistake was to not be shocking or original(or politically connected) enough for the artsy modernist music mafia.There is so much music in the classical genre that deserves more performances.

16 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Surprised by Depth

Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2016

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While I do not share his taste in all he various pieces of music that he recommends, I was always impressed by the extraordinarily profound analysis that Robert Reilly offers for each. Through this book I was introduced to many exceptional modern composers that I had not known. Thank you! It was worth it!

8 people found this helpful

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Rose DeCaro

Vastly interesting book

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2016

James Forrest, Fanfare Issue 40:2 (Nov/Dec 2016) of Fanfare Magazine

How I missed the first edition of this vastly interesting book when Robert R. Reilly published it in 2002 I cannot say, but I am grateful the editor offered the chance to read and review this “revised and expanded edition”—expanded, indeed, to include a co-author. The description seems entirely justified, since this second edition is nearly double the size of the original volume, 13 entirely new chapters have been added (eight by Reilly and five more from Laurson), and several more chapters have been revised and expanded. Ted Libbey’s Forward to the 2002 publication is also included. In all, a substantial volume.

This has proved, as well, to be a popular book, with any number of admiring reviews. Although I have a couple of reservations, one major, one minor, I certainly add my voice to the general praise this new edition has received. It is well written, thought provoking, and a terrific “read” for anyone with an interest in the topic.

My primary disagreement is with the authors’ major premise as indicated in their subtitle. They believe that Schoenberg and the atonalists stole or were about to steal (or take over) music in the 20th century, that beauty in music had become of little or no importance and that, only in the latter part of the century, a group of composers reclaimed the art. The authors argue their case with fervor, but I don’t think the facts bear them out. In my opinion, 12-tone music was never more than a side-issue. The vast majority of composers did not follow it: The nearly 70 composers discussed here (five of the chapters are excellent interviews), and also a considerable number of 20th-century tonalists not individually treated by the authors.
Bartók, Bloch, Copland, Cowell, Creston, Gershwin, Hindemith, Honegger, Piston, Prokofiev, Schuman, Walton, to name only the first dozen who come to mind were all writing tonal music during the time the atonalists were most active. I obviously don’t remember the 1920s and 30s personally, but it seems to me they, and others, more than held their own in comparison to Schoenberg and his followers. There is a particularly fine interview with David Diamond, surely one of our greatest symphonists, but to ignore two more of the finest, Walter Piston and William Schuman, seems to me to stack the deck. I respect the authors’ opinion on the matter, but I am unconvinced. Others, however, may agree.

An area of less significant disagreement stems from a question the authors pose following the preface: “Is Music Sacred?” They return to this at the end of their discussion of individual composers and clearly it is a topic that has meaning for them. It is not one to which I can relate. Elsewhere in this issue a DVD of a concert and interview featuring the venerable conductor Herbert Blomstedt is discussed. In the interview Blomstedt was asked about the spiritual content of music. He looked puzzled, finally put his hand near his heart, and said (I paraphrase from the translation): But, that is in here. I take the meaning of that to be that music is not in and of itself intrinsically spiritual (or, by extension, sacred) but that it can touch those aspects of ourselves. That would be my view.

Another comment, frequently made in the text, is that the atonal movement killed or tried to kill “beauty” in music. Again, I can’t relate to that. Obviously, Schoenberg’s Variations for Orchestra are not “pretty” or melodic such as Brahms’s Haydn Variations. But I recall well, after hearing Solti and the Chicago Symphony play the Schoenberg in the then new Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, how much impact the tonal variety and complexity had. I was similarly moved one warm summer afternoon at Tanglewood hearing Joseph Silverstein play the Schoenberg Violin Concerto with his colleagues of the BSO. Beauty exists in many forms. In music, beauty does not reside only in melody. It also, let us not forget, exists in the ear of the listener. We are not all going to agree, just as not all hear things the same.

Having indulged myself, and so as not to try patience, let me return to what I find excellent here and the reactions which support a strong “buy” recommendation. As noted, this book is well written, entertainingly written. It is also chock full of useful information. Having read it, you will return to it (as I have during the past couple of months) for facts or opinions regarding the individual composers and music discussed. Although a new author was added for this edition, his style is much the same and there are no incongruities. In addition to a provocative discussion of each of more than five dozen composers, there is a brief, selected discography at the end of each chapter. I surely do not own all of the recordings listed, but I own a sufficient quantity, and share the esteem of the authors for those discs, as to have confidence that all of their recommendations are well considered.
The book is nicely turned out. I have not seen the hard-bound edition, but the copy I received has a very heavy stock outer cover, glossy finished, looks well, and after several weeks of heavy use looks (still) like new. Editing is excellent. I didn’t pick up any misprints (not saying I could not have missed one), but in all, a splendid job.

25 people found this helpful

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Mark Cole

fantastic

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2016

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Outstanding, brilliant, inspiring. A fantastic and highly accessible work. The essay on Robert Simpson was worth the price of the book, many times over. The format of short essays is perfect, as well. Reilly is a brilliant critic, and a great contributor to our humane tradition.

5 people found this helpful

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A User

Great introduction

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2019

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Great introduction and commentary on less known artists and there incredible pieces

One person found this helpful

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Jeffrey D. Wallin