Page 136 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2024. Glasbena kritika – nekoč in danes ▪︎ Music Criticism – Yesterday and Today. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 7
P. 136
glasbena kritika – nekoč in danes | music criticism – yesterday and today
and Stockhausen. Glock initiated a stream of BBC commissions that
helped a number of composers. Now, not without controversy, he had the
British musical public at his command. The public concerts, mostly with
BBC Symphony Orchestra, presented programmes containing challeng-
ing contemporary works. The programmes for the Proms included large
numbers of 20th century classics and a wide range of BBC commissions.
He left the BBC in 1973, but the legacy of his programmes continued with
his successors. The BBC Symphony Orchestra often conducted by Antal
Dorati, Colin Davis and later Pierre Boulez, took adventurous contem-
porary music programmes abroad, notably to the United States, to wide-
spread acclaim.
General Editor of Eulenburg Books
Glock’s practical application of his mission to improve the standing and
dissemination, mostly of contemporary music, but also of earlier music as
well, was considerably enabled by his position in the 1970s and early 1980s
as the general editor of a new enterprise by Schott Music entitled Eulen-
burg Books. While among the published books, there appeared excellent
volumes on Debussy13 and Fauré14 and Ian Kemp’s masterly study of the
English composer Michael Tippett,15 what stand out are the two books on
Boulez, Conversations with Celestin Deliege16, and the wide ranging Pierre
Boulez A Symposium,17 as well as the first comprehensive and penetrating
study of the music of the American composer Elliott Carter.18
Three Composers
Using all these activities, Glock singled out for special treatment three com-
posers who had not yet established themselves among British audiences:
the Catalan Roberto Gerhard, the American Elliott Carter and the French-
man Pierre Boulez. All three composers were also prolific writers of essays,
Gerhard in Spanish and English, Carter mostly in English and Boulez in
French and sometimes English. All three were often outspoken and con-
13 Stefan Jarocinski, Debussy: Impressionism and Symbolism (London: Eulenburg,
1976) and Robin Holloway, Debussy and Wagner (London: Eulenburg, 1979).
14 Robert Orledge, Gabriel Fauré (London: Eulenburg, 1979).
15 Ian Kemp, Tippett, the composer and his music (London: Eulenburg, 1984).
16 Pierre Boulez, Conversations with Célestin Deliège (London: Eulenburg, 1976).
17 William Glock, ed., Pierre Boulez, a Symposium (London: Eulenburg, 1986).
18 David Schiff, The Music of Elliott Carter, 1st edition (London: Eulenburg, 1983).
136
and Stockhausen. Glock initiated a stream of BBC commissions that
helped a number of composers. Now, not without controversy, he had the
British musical public at his command. The public concerts, mostly with
BBC Symphony Orchestra, presented programmes containing challeng-
ing contemporary works. The programmes for the Proms included large
numbers of 20th century classics and a wide range of BBC commissions.
He left the BBC in 1973, but the legacy of his programmes continued with
his successors. The BBC Symphony Orchestra often conducted by Antal
Dorati, Colin Davis and later Pierre Boulez, took adventurous contem-
porary music programmes abroad, notably to the United States, to wide-
spread acclaim.
General Editor of Eulenburg Books
Glock’s practical application of his mission to improve the standing and
dissemination, mostly of contemporary music, but also of earlier music as
well, was considerably enabled by his position in the 1970s and early 1980s
as the general editor of a new enterprise by Schott Music entitled Eulen-
burg Books. While among the published books, there appeared excellent
volumes on Debussy13 and Fauré14 and Ian Kemp’s masterly study of the
English composer Michael Tippett,15 what stand out are the two books on
Boulez, Conversations with Celestin Deliege16, and the wide ranging Pierre
Boulez A Symposium,17 as well as the first comprehensive and penetrating
study of the music of the American composer Elliott Carter.18
Three Composers
Using all these activities, Glock singled out for special treatment three com-
posers who had not yet established themselves among British audiences:
the Catalan Roberto Gerhard, the American Elliott Carter and the French-
man Pierre Boulez. All three composers were also prolific writers of essays,
Gerhard in Spanish and English, Carter mostly in English and Boulez in
French and sometimes English. All three were often outspoken and con-
13 Stefan Jarocinski, Debussy: Impressionism and Symbolism (London: Eulenburg,
1976) and Robin Holloway, Debussy and Wagner (London: Eulenburg, 1979).
14 Robert Orledge, Gabriel Fauré (London: Eulenburg, 1979).
15 Ian Kemp, Tippett, the composer and his music (London: Eulenburg, 1984).
16 Pierre Boulez, Conversations with Célestin Deliège (London: Eulenburg, 1976).
17 William Glock, ed., Pierre Boulez, a Symposium (London: Eulenburg, 1986).
18 David Schiff, The Music of Elliott Carter, 1st edition (London: Eulenburg, 1983).
136
