Imogen Holst: A Life in Music

Imogen Holst [1907-1984], the only child of Gustav Holst, was a composer and arranger of folksongs, writer on music, conductor, and administrator. She also acted as music assistant to Benjamin Britten, of whom she became a friend and close associate. She subsequently continued as Artistic Director of the Aldeburgh Festival until 1977, when she retired to devote more time to preparing a thematic catalogue of her father's music.
This book offers the opportunity for a full assessment of Imogen Holst's life and achievements, both in her own words and through assessments by noted scholars. The backbone of this volume is the journal she kept at the start of her working association with Britten, from 1952 to 1954. Here she provides a unique insight into the professional and domestic life of a major composer, now published in full for the first time. Around these writings is woven a biographical narrative by Christopher Grogan and Rosamund Strode, the latter Holst's successor as Britten's music assistant and one of her closest colleagues and friends. The volume also includes an essay on her musical style and a complete catalogue of works, and an essay on her musical style by Christopher Tinker.

CONTENIDO:

1 Foreword
2 `She do favour `er Pa': Infancy and early schooldays, 1907-1920
3 `Corn-coloured pigtails and very blue eyes': St Paul's Girls' School, 1921- 1926
4 `To be best when all are good': The Royal College of Music, 1926-1930
5 `Wandering about Europe', 1930-1931
6 `Life is not going to be too easy for you': London and elsewhere, 1931-1939
7 `A present from the Government': Travelling with CEMA, 1940-1942
8 `A wonderful opportunity': Dartington, 1942-1950
9 `She is quite brilliant': India to Aldeburgh, 1950-1952
10 `The excitement of working with Ben': an introduction to the Aldeburgh Diary
11 Aldeburgh Diary, September 1952 - March 1954
12 `The thing that one wants to do most in the whole world': 1955-1964
13 `The immense joy of learning about Holst via Britten': 1964-1976
14 `Old age - Protest against disintegration - Gradual calming down - Acceptance': 1977-1984
15 `A real composer': an Introduction to Imogen Holst's Musical Style
16 Catalogue of works
17 Index