Even Better Booklist

Since its founding in 1935, the Carmel Bach Festival has always presented its music within a context of ideas and discussions. The development of all the arts in the 18th century mirrors and parallels the social, cultural and political developments of that century, and by placing the music into the continuum of human existence we can deepen our connection to it.

One of my happiest duties at the Carmel Bach Festival is researching and presenting the pre-concert lectures. In my informal talks I try to evoke a stronger sense of context and create a deeper understanding the human being who wrote the notes. What were the circumstances in which he lived and worked, who was he a person, and what brought about the creation of the music?

A few weeks ago I posted a short list of books that I used during the 2009 Bach Festival. Here is a longer list!

Download David's 3-Page Bibliography in pdf format

This downloadable 3-page pdf document lists 23 books that have been helpful to me in recent years and also books I’m currently using to prepare for the 2010 Festival. I must emphasize that this is a very personal list. It is by definition not broad in scope, and is primarily related to recent and upcoming repertoire at the Carmel Bach Festival. These are books which in recent years have helped me find a human connection to the personalities who created the music, and to the cultural, historical, and social context in which they lived and worked.

~ David Gordon