Leon Kirchner and His Verdant World
"An artist must create a personal cosmos, a verdant world in continuity with tradition further fulfilling man's 'awareness,' his ‘degree of consciousness,' and bringing new subtilization, vision and beauty to the elements of experience. It is in this way that Idea, powered by conviction and necessity, will create its own style and the singular, momentous structure capable of realizing its intent."— Leon Kirchner
Leon Kirchner and His Verdant World is an anthology of sixty-nine essays, letters, and interviews, by Kirchner and his colleagues spanning sixty years of collaboration in the arts and sciences. Reprints of earlier materials share a terrain with newly minted pieces written for inclusion in this volume by fellow composers, performers, producers, and scholars, who deliver vibrant accounts of their transformational encounters with Kirchner. The composer's own published writings—stylistically imaginative and prophetic—unveil his evolving concerns relevant to the arts and society, while also providing resonant accounts of his cherished mentors. Interleaved with photos, manuscripts, and art, this book illuminates a burgeoning era of contemporary music. Fellow travelers in his cosmos write with erudition and gift imparting their insights and consummate understanding of the tenets and qualities of Kirchner's verdant world.