Music and Inspiration

Music and Inspiration by Harvey, Jonathan. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780571200252.

Inspiration - the factor common to all composers throughout musical history, in whatever period or place they have worked, whatever style they have embraced; yet never before has it been the subject of study. Here, one of Britains foremost composers, Jonathan Harvey, draws widely on the writings of many composers in an effort to understand and define what inspiration really is. His choice of material is wide-ranging, aiming to chart what it is that composers from different backgrounds have in common and how the concept of inspiration persists within otherwise very different musical cultures.