I Dream a World: The Operas of William Grant Still Hardcover - 2005

First line

William Grant Still came on the American scene at a time when the new music of America was being born.

From the jacket flap

William Grant Still (18951978) dreamed of a world in which his eight operasfor him the ultimate form of musical expressionwould be heard in the major opera houses in the United States, devoting most of his career toward the pursuit of this goal. The first part of I Dream a World creates a context for Still s operas and explores commonalities among them, including structural elements and musical characteristics. The second part traces the research, composition, and perform-ances of the operas as a way of documenting the history of the composer and his contributions to American opera. Although I Dream a World is not intentionally biographical, it is very pers-onal. It is more than the story of William Grant Still s love of operatic music, of the libretti that reflect his own life and philosophy, and of the world he dreamed through his work. It opens a window on Still the man as well as on Still the composer that offers important insights into the social milieu of this pioneering figure."

Media reviews

Citations

• Booklist, 12/15/2004, Page 722
• Univ PR Books for Public Libry, 01/01/2006, Page 1