Background
Macdonald, Hugh John was born on January 31, 1940 in Newbury, England. Came to the United States, 1987. Son of Stuart Hugh and Dorothea Margaret Macdonald.
(One of the foremost composers of his generation, Berlioz ...)
One of the foremost composers of his generation, Berlioz was even more influential as an arbiter of musical taste and a writer of critical essays for the Parisian Journal des debats. But professional journalism was sometimes an unwelcome task for Berlioz, who felt hindered by considerations of diplomacy and censorship. Letter writing, by contrast, provided him with a freer outlet for creative expression, and his surviving correspondences number in the thousands. From that extraordinary output Hugh Macdonald has gathered some 500 letters that span the composer's life and chart the course of his artistic career. The first letter, written by a brash fifteen-year-old Berlioz to a group of music publishers, suggests that they bring out his work at their own expense. The last letter, in which Berlioz begs his brother-in-law for money, reveals the once-prodigious composer and writer reduced to a pathetic state of poverty. Dipped into or read straight through, Selected Letters of Berlioz is entertaining and informative reading for any music lover. Translated aptly and colorfully by Roger Nichols, Berlioz's letters blend personal sentiment with deep insight into nineteenth-century thought, providing an entrancing portrait of one of the century's leading artistic figures.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393040623/?tag=2022091-20
(Skryabin, a composer of great originality saved from prob...)
Skryabin, a composer of great originality saved from probable madness only by his early death, was the leading Russian composer of the early years of the 20th century, and an important figure in the final stages of late romantic music. This comprehensive analysis of the music is an invaluable complement to the several biographical studies currently available. Born in Berkshire in 1940, English musicologist Hugh Macdonald studied under Raymond Leppard at Cambridge (1958-66) and after research on the music of Berlioz he was awarded the PhD in 1969 for a dissertation consisting of a critical edition of Les Troyens. He was a lecturer in music at Cambridge (1966-71) and at Oxford (1971-80), and was Gardiner Professor of Music at Glasgow University (1980-87). In 1987 he was appointed Avis Blewett Professor of Music at Washington University in St. Louis. His chief area of work has been the music of the 19th century, especially in France; a searching yet elegant writer, his scholarship is informed by his keen musicianship. He has been general editor of The New Berlioz Edition since its inception in 1967 and has been particularly active in the revival of interest in the composer's music.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0193154382/?tag=2022091-20
Macdonald, Hugh John was born on January 31, 1940 in Newbury, England. Came to the United States, 1987. Son of Stuart Hugh and Dorothea Margaret Macdonald.
Bachelor, Cambridge University, England, 1961. Master of Arts, Cambridge University, England, 1966. Doctor of Philosophy, Cambridge University, England, 1969.
He has been general editor of the Hector Berlioz: New Edition of the Complete Works since its inception in 1967 and has been particularly active in the revival of interest in Berlioz"s music He is also the author of several entries within The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Macdonald studied under Raymond Leppard at the University of Cambridge from 1958–1966.
He went on to pursue doctoral studies, earning a Doctor of Philosophy in 1969 from Cambridge after researching the music of Berlioz for a dissertation consisting of a critical edition of Les Troyens.
He served on the faculty of music at Cambridge from 1966 to 1971 and on the music faculty at University of Oxford from 1971 to 1980. He became the Gardiner Professor of Music at Glasgow University in 1980, where he remained until 1987, when he was appointed Avis Blewett Professor of Music at Washington University in Saint Louis.
(Skryabin, a composer of great originality saved from prob...)
(One of the foremost composers of his generation, Berlioz ...)
Married Naomi Jane Butterworth Le Fleming, September 14, 1963 (divorced 1973). Children: Myditsa Lucy Herz, Polly Alice Jane Kushashvili, Felix, Phoebe Bugden. Married Mary Elizabeth Babb, September 15, 1979.
1 child, John Paxton.