MTU Library Catalogue

Syndetics cover image
Image from Syndetics

Rebellious ferment : a Dublin musical memoir and diary / Brian Boydell ; edited by Barra Boydell.

By: Boydell, Brian [author].
Contributor(s): Boydell, Barra [editor].
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookPublisher: Cork : Atrium (imprint of Cork University Press), 2018Copyright date: ©2018Description: xxiv, 215 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 9781782052869.Subject(s): Boydell, Brian -- Biography | Boydell, Brian -- Diaries | Composers -- Biography -- Ireland | Composers -- Diaries -- IrelandDDC classification: 780.92 BOY
Contents:
Part I: Memoir -- A reluctant slice of autobiography -- Back in Ireland -- Mainly musical -- Dangerous intellectuals and spies -- Back to music again -- Part II: Diary, 1950 -- January -- February -- March -- April -- May, June.
Summary: 'One of Ireland's foremost twentieth-century composers and musicians, Brian Boydell (1917-2000) was an enthusiastic communicator. His memoir Rebellious Ferment was written during the final decade of this life. Informative, entertaining and with an engaging combination of passion and elegance, it focuses in particular on the 1940s and early 1950s when Brian Boydell was closely involved in what he describes as the 'rebellious ferment' of artistic development during that period. Ireland had become a haven for artists and intellectuals fleeing from countries engaged in the Second World War. As a young, emerging composer who rejected the narrow nationalism of 1904s' Ireland, Brian Boydell connected with these immigrant artists including the White Stag Group (with whom he exhibited as a painter). The influence of contemporary European artistic theories, including surrealism, fed directly into his creative development, and he rapidly established himself as Ireland's leading modern composer. In this memoir, he presents a vivid, first-hand narrative of his own rebellion against the prevailing cultural landscape of 1940s' Ireland, his engagement with a wide range of often colourful people, and his active involvement in the development of Irish musical life. He also covers later events including his arrangement of the national anthem for the launch of RTE television in 1961, and the visit of Russian composer Shostakovich to receive an honorary degree from Trinity College Dublin in 1972. Boydell's memoir is complemented by his narrative diary for 1950, which provides a revealing insight into his life as an emerging composer, conductor and educator. The breadth of his interests beyond music and the enthusiasm with which he embraced all his activities guarantees a wide appeal for this book. Far more than just a personal memoir and diary of one of ireland's leading composers and musicians, Rebellious Ferment presents a fascinating, first-hand witness of a significant period in Irish musical, social and cultural history'
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Barcode
General lending MTU Cork School of Music Library Lending 780.92 BOY (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 00180580
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Brian Boydell (1917 - 2000) was a leading figure in Irish musical life; he profoundly influenced the development of music and music education in Ireland. He was closely involved in the post-war period of `rebellious ferment' in Irish cultural life and his memoir presents a vivid portrait not only of artistic life (including painting, poetry and theatre as well as music) but also of politics, religion, infrastructure, education, and society in mid-twentieth-century Ireland. Boydell engaged with a wide range of often colorful people, including those associated with the White Stag Group in the early 1940s. This book presents a fascinating account not only for its autobiographical interest, but also for its value as a first-hand witness of a significant period in Irish musical and cultural history.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part I: Memoir -- A reluctant slice of autobiography -- Back in Ireland -- Mainly musical -- Dangerous intellectuals and spies -- Back to music again -- Part II: Diary, 1950 -- January -- February -- March -- April -- May, June.

'One of Ireland's foremost twentieth-century composers and musicians, Brian Boydell (1917-2000) was an enthusiastic communicator. His memoir Rebellious Ferment was written during the final decade of this life. Informative, entertaining and with an engaging combination of passion and elegance, it focuses in particular on the 1940s and early 1950s when Brian Boydell was closely involved in what he describes as the 'rebellious ferment' of artistic development during that period. Ireland had become a haven for artists and intellectuals fleeing from countries engaged in the Second World War. As a young, emerging composer who rejected the narrow nationalism of 1904s' Ireland, Brian Boydell connected with these immigrant artists including the White Stag Group (with whom he exhibited as a painter). The influence of contemporary European artistic theories, including surrealism, fed directly into his creative development, and he rapidly established himself as Ireland's leading modern composer. In this memoir, he presents a vivid, first-hand narrative of his own rebellion against the prevailing cultural landscape of 1940s' Ireland, his engagement with a wide range of often colourful people, and his active involvement in the development of Irish musical life. He also covers later events including his arrangement of the national anthem for the launch of RTE television in 1961, and the visit of Russian composer Shostakovich to receive an honorary degree from Trinity College Dublin in 1972. Boydell's memoir is complemented by his narrative diary for 1950, which provides a revealing insight into his life as an emerging composer, conductor and educator. The breadth of his interests beyond music and the enthusiasm with which he embraced all his activities guarantees a wide appeal for this book. Far more than just a personal memoir and diary of one of ireland's leading composers and musicians, Rebellious Ferment presents a fascinating, first-hand witness of a significant period in Irish musical, social and cultural history'

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Editor's Note (p. vi)
  • Editorial Policy (p. xiv)
  • Acknowledgements (p. xv)
  • Acronyms & Abbreviations (p. xvii)
  • Illustrations (p. xviii)
  • Brian Boydell: Biographical Dates (p. xx)
  • Preface to Memoir (p. xxii)
  • Part I Memoir (p. 1)
  • Chapter 1 A Reluctant Slice of Autobiography (p. 3)
  • Chapter 2 Back in Ireland (p. 19)
  • Chapter 3 Mainly Musical (p. 41)
  • Chapter 4 Dangerous Intellectuals and Spies (p. 65)
  • Chapter 5 Back to Music Again (p. 83)
  • Part II Diary, 1950 (p. 121)
  • January (p. 123)
  • February (p. 145)
  • March (p. 161)
  • April (p. 176)
  • May, June (p. 187)
  • Select Bibliography (p. 202)
  • Index (p. 205)