CARBONDALE, Colo., Sept. 17, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As time passes, more people are turning away from classical music. We see this in declining ticket sales, mounting orchestral bankruptcies and the reduced radio playtime taking place all over the country. In his quest to explain this disturbing trend, Paul Breer shares his in-depth views with the publication of a new book Classical Music's Last Hope, released through Xlibris.
The author points to the rise of anti-elitism and the new insistence on immediate gratification as major culprits in classical music's shrinking popularity. Some of the blame can also be traced to the decision by contemporary composers to abandon the traditional tonal harmony of the 18th and 19th centuries. He argues that if classical music has any chance of winning back its audience, it must return to the harmonic idiom used by the great composers of the past. Given the intransigence of today's music establishment, the person most likely to do that is the self-taught amateur, newly armed with the latest digital technology. Classical Music's Last Hope concludes with a call for a renaissance in amateur composing.
To order a copy of this fascinating read, feel free to visit your local bookstore or call Xlibris at (888) 795-4274 today.
About the Author
Paul Breer is a retired sociologist who taught himself to write music with the help of a digital audio workstation. His love for the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, Stravinsky et al began in his freshman year at Harvard and persisted throughout careers as sociology professor (Cornell), psychotherapist, researcher and philosopher (The Spontaneous Self, 1989). However, it was not until computers, electronic keyboards, and the interface linking the two were invented that writing music of his own became a possibility. He spends his days now ensconced in his Rocky Mountain retreat composing chamber works and symphonic works as well as pieces for chorus and orchestra.
Classical Music's Last Hope * by Paul Breer
Return Of The Amateur Composer
Publication Date: May 23, 2008
Trade Paperback; $17.99; 166 pages; 978-1-4363-3764-9
Cloth Hardback; $26.99; 166 pages; 978-1-4363-3765-6
To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7479. Tear sheets may be sent by regular or electronic mail to Marketing Services. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x.7876.
Xlibris books can be purchased at Xlibris bookstore. For more information, contact Xlibris at (888) 795-4274 or on the web at www.Xlibris.com.