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The Beauty of Belaieff Richard Beattie Davis 368 Pages in Full Colour l Large Format (280mm x 220mm) 143 Full Page Colour Plates l Fully Annotated Throughout Extensive Individual Bibliographies l Composer Chronology Full List of Works l Comprehensive Index l Hardback + Dustjacket Price £65.00 plus delivery by Royal Mail.
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I am finding the book absolutely enthralling, not only is it beautifully produced and laid out, it is packed with fascinating information, most of which I didn`t know. I am finding it very difficult to put it down and get any practising done. Without a shadow of a doubt it is one of the most important and interesting books about Russian music to have appeared in many years. James Kirby - pianist, Visiting teacher at Royal Holloway, University of London. “The Beauty of Belaieff” is a history of an outstanding music publisher during one of the most fascinating eras in Russian music. The history is recreated from numerous original editions of operas, orchestral works, piano, and chamber music by the well-known, lesser known, and often forgotten composers. The format of the book, full of exquisite reproductions of title pages, serves the purpose of not only making public the invaluable materials, but, most importantly, making them "talk and sound," and to bring into spotlight the full palette of the work of the remarkable publisher. The book is based on an immensely rich collection of Belaieff's first editions, some of which I have been privileged to see -- Richard Beattie Davis has spent decades meticulously gathering, preserving, and researching this collection, and it has no comparisons anywhere in the world, including Russia. Elena Sorokina, Pianist, Musicologist, Professor, Head of the Russian Music History Program, Vice-President of the Moscow Conservatory. How wonderful to have this vital information
collected together and so comprehensively presented. The plates of the
publications are so beautiful. The work of this great publisher deserves to be
more widely acknowledged; there is so much music around today that would never
have been composed had it not been for him, and now thanks to Richard's hard
work we will be able at last to examine the full picture.
I have to say it is magnificent in every respect. So far I have
managed to read the introductions and the notes about some of the
composers (Taneyev, of course), and the prints are just beautiful.
It must be one of the most important books on Russian music ever
printed, certainly in the English language. The level of scholarship
and the authority with which it is written is marvellous. The Beauty of Belaieff contains a wealth of knowledge about one of the richest periods of Russian music. Each of the individual biographical profiles brings the composer to life through his works and contacts with friends, and provides insight into his character. The beautiful color plates, many of them very rare, are a visual feast as well as being invaluable documentary evidence of the Belaieff publications. Richard Beattie Davis has enriched our understanding of the personalities and period of late 19th century Russian music with this splendid book. Barbara Barry, Professor of Musicology, Conservatory of Music, Lynn University, Florida, USA. This exquisite book has been put together with the utmost care and attention to detail, and the painstaking research that has gone into it makes for a fascinating and readable experience. The vivid plates are worthy of a book of their own! I very much hope that Richard Beattie-Davis will garner fellow-enthusiasts for Belaieff's stable of somewhat lesser-known Russian composers, and that it will stimulate an interest in hearing the works that he has written about with such inspiration and authority. Annette Isserlis, Viola-player, Professor RCM and RNCM, Recording-producer. England. The Beauty of Belaieff is a must for all lovers of Russian music. It should inspire the reader to seek out scores and recordings of works by lesser known composers, as well as those by Glazunov, Rimsky-Korsakov & Skryabin. The superb chromo-lithographed title pages reproduced in large numbers, make the book a visual delight. Malcolm Binns, Concert Pianist In producing this definitive
reference work, Richard Beattie Davis has done what no other musicologist, not
even in Russia, has ever done…he has managed to bridge the wide gap in the study
of Russian Music at its most fertile and crucial moments by shedding light on
the legacy of M.P. Belaieff (1836-1903/4), one of its pivotal figures. I highly
recommend this book to anyone who cares about music and is interested in Music
History, Lithography, Ballet, Opera and Russian Music and its composers in
particular. My sincerest congratulations
on your recent book launch! So many across the world will thank you for years to
come for your searches and careful endless hours of work to share the incredible
beauty in your priceless collection! I feel so privileged to have visited the
library (at Florida Atlantic University) and personally seen these amazing
scores and editions. Your dedication to the noble cause of sharing your research
will bring such joy to countless people. I am very excited to purchase the book
as soon as it is available!
If you attended the From
Russia exhibition at London’s Royal Academy in 2008 you will have marvelled not
only at the works but also at the foresight of the collector-patrons such as
Morozov and Shchukin. M.P. Belaieff was their musical equivalent, a plutocrat
who supported a whole generation of Russian composers - Rimsky-Korsakov,
Borodin, Glazunov, and Skryabin to name just a few. If sheet music was the
crucial medium for the promotion of music, it was Belaieff’s great contribution,
without regard to commercial return, to maintain the tradition of extravagant
title pages. Richard Beattie Davis’ The Beauty of Belaieff is the fruit of years
of scholarship and will remain the authoritative work on the publisher. The book
is much more than a catalogue; it is a window on life in fin de siècle Russia
with all its extravagance and creativity. The Beauty of Belaieff is a welcome
and fascinating volume for a wide and not necessarily specialist readership. Richard Beattie Davis’ long awaited volume is the result of many years of painstaking research underpinned by a lifetime of engagement in Russian musical culture by one of its most devoted and astute commentators. The breadth and scope of his enquiry will be of immense interest to those involved not just in Russian and European musicology, but to specialists and students alike of Russian visual culture, and of course to the life and work of the extraordinarily perspicacious Mitrofan Belaieff. This is, and will doubtless remain, the authoritative work in its field and will prove of seminal importance to all devotees of the Russian arts.
Professor
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