A Book Worth Reading

Many years ago a friend of the family gave me a book. This was a book she had read and didn't really care for but thought I might enjoy it. This title is Talks with Great Composers: Candid Conversations with Brahms, Puccini, Strauss, and Others by Arthur Abell.

Abell set out to put together a book that would explain the creative force behind music composition. Abell was a journalist who happened to know the violinist Joseph Joachim and Joachim (at that point) was a an intimate friend of Johannes Brahms. Through Joachim Abell was allowed to interview Brahms about the creative process.

The first third of the book is devoted to the interview. Brahms openly and candidly speaks about what he believes are the requirements of being a good composer and what he thinks of composers of the past and present. The rest of the book relates interviews with other "minor" composers such as Humperdink (Hansel and Gretel) and Grieg among others.

One wonderful thing about the work is that Abell interviewed Brahms first and when he told the other composers that he had spoken to Brahms they were very excited and wanted to know what he had said; there was one problem however. Brahms told Abell he could publish the interview on one condition; that it not be published until 50 years after Brahms' death. (note: I would lose my mind). Brahms was very much aware that few composers are appreciated in their own lifetime (he had a great deal to say about those who are). Brahms felt the world would not truly appreciate what he had to say in his own time and that his words must wait.

Fate stepped in again because 50 years later it was 1947 and the world (according to Abell, but you can see his point) was not ready for a work such as this. The Nuremberg trials were still going on, Europe was still in ruins, and it seemed, if nothing else, to be in poor taste to publish such a work. Abell knew it would be a select audience that would read the book and did not delude himself that this work would affect much change. The work was finally published in 1955.

This book opened my mind. It is a testament of belief in God and in the abilities of the people on earth. Few works like this exist, none with this much comparison of viewpoint and in such an authoritative translation. If you get the chance to read it, let me know what you think.