Music of Harrison Birtwistle

"As the subtitle of Cross's book suggests, it is concerned with the composer's life as well as with his works. Though there is little in the way of direct biography, Birtwistle's personality emerges through his own memorably terse musical observations. These provide an often amusing corrective to the eloquence of his commentators; he accounts for the prominence of the note E in his music by claiming that "it's as good as any other", and excuses his unexpected withdrawal of a composition on the grounds that "it wasn't a very good piece". But Birtwistle's public persona anti intellectual, anti elitist, gruffly Northern is in many ways a disguise; as Cross points out, Birtwistle has benefited from the decision to present himself as "the Romantic creative artist", concerned with the essence of his own work and impatient with the ephemeral aspects of musical life."Adlington, Robert is the author of 'Music of Harrison Birtwistle', published 2006 under ISBN 9780521027809 and ISBN 0521027802.