W. H. Hadow opens with a clear outline of musical form, then devotes long essays to three composers: Chopin, whose wayward, aerial music he defends against heavy-handed playing; Dvořák, the Bohemian nationalist; and Brahms, the great classicist of the age. He draws on the letters and biographies of each, including George Sand’s writings on Chopin.
Graceful Victorian music criticism that still helps listeners hear these composers afresh. Download the free EPUB.