Download or read book Selected Letters of Michael Tippett written by Thomas Schuttenhelm and published by Faber & Faber. This book was released on 2019-11-19 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout his life, which spanned the greater part of the twentieth century (1905-1998), Sir Michael Tippett was a prolific letter-writer. He wrote to a vast number of people over the years, including family, friends and lovers, colleagues in the music world, journalists, poets, dramatists and politicians. Published to coincide with the centenary of Tippett's birth, these carefully selected letters provide us with a first hand account of the composer's private and professional experiences, revealing a uniquely personal view which until now has remained largely unknown to the public. Bearing witness to the atrocities and advancements of the twentieth century, these letters display a fiercely creative mind struggling to construct a universal artistic expression. His correspondence places the reader at the composer's side, within the historical moment, as a witness to the creative process. Writing open, uninhibited letters became common practice for Tippett, his candid tone lending itself to tackling a wide range of personal and social issues. From the bombing of his cottage in Oxted, to the ecstatic experience of artistic breakthrough that led to progress on a new composition, each new event and accomplishment is documented with clarity and urgency.