Watkins first wrote about Carlo Gesualdo (1566–1613) more than 35 years ago (Gesualdo: The Man and His Music
), and even before that he was in close contact with those who produced the earliest recordings of the Renaissance composer's work for modern audiences. Some of the most interesting passages in this analysis of Gesualdo's shifting reputation stem from Watkins's recollections of encounters with classical music icons like Nadia Boulanger and Igor Stravinsky. But it is also an academic consideration of the changing nature of historical reputation, and of what elements of the Gesualdo legend have inspired later musicians (and other artists, including Werner Herzog and the novelist Wesley Stace) and why. A particularly engaging section draws parallels with Arnold Schoenberg, showing how tremendously innovative composers also continue to draw upon their earliest influences without stylistic discontinuity. Gesualdo's transitional voice “belonged to its time,” Watkins concludes, and “later ages, noting its equivocal position, prized it largely for that reason and noted its power.” Readers without access to Gesualdo's music may feel somewhat lost, but for those who are familiar with the material, Watkins provides thoughtful insights into its staying power. 25 illus.
(Jan.)
