Gian Francesco Malipiero

In recent years Gian Francesco Malipiero has been recognised increasingly widely as one of the most original and strangely fascinating Italian composers of the early 20th century. He was the teacher of Maderna and Nono, and was revered by (among many others) Dallapiccola, who even called him the most important (musical) personality that Italy has had since the death of Verdi . He was also a key figure in the revival of the long- neglected music of Italy's great past, and himself edited what remains the only virtually complete edition of the surviving compositions of Monteverdi. The present book not only provides the first monographic survey of Malipiero's life, times and music to appear in English, but covers the subject more comprehensively than any previous publication in any language. Dr Waterhouse draws on hitherto unpublished documents, and with the help of numerous musical examples, analyses the composer's works, style and idiosyncratic personality.

The majority of books covering the birth and development of electroacoustic and electronic music do seem to only give us a partial overview of this peculiar aspect of contemporary cultural production; essays and monographs provide an androcentric view on the subject, rarely mentioning the contribution of inventresses, female composers and theorists. The “young” age of electronic music – together with the traditional privilege granted by historians to the productions of North America and some European countries – contribute in obstructing the drafting of a paritary, diagonal and comprehensive view of this topic. This book aims to open a new perspective on electronic music history; If we want to write a new, more inclusive and equitable future, we will have to look at the facts by training a curious gaze, stripped of mechanically reiterated certainties. From the birth of the Theremin to the first commercial software intended for the production of computer music, from Japan to Russia passing through Europe and the American Continent, each chapter of this book deals with a specific moment of the history of electronic music narrated through the compositions and experiences of women composers. Addressed to lovers of electronic music, scholars and non-experts, A Short History of Electronic Music and its Women Protagonists discloses a new and vibrating universe of untold stories.