Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Books and music

Some thoughts generated by something on the radio this morning about the closure rate of British libraries.
I grew up in the 1960's and after moving to Macclesfield learnt an awful lot about music from the piano music and scores that the library then had. If it hadn't been for them I wouldn't have discovered - so early or easily - enthousiams for Scriabin, Prokofiev, Ireland. I'd never have learnt to read orchestral scores fluently or understand piano reductions of operatic scores - my love and understanding of Wagner was greatly helped by being able to play the reductions.
Now when I go into the local library I could weep, a section of scores all bunged together no order, no arrangement according to type - and as far as I can tell only very popular stuff - it is so difficult to work out whether there is anything which might interest I can never be bothered.
What have we lost for the next generation?

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