Hurwitz, David 1961-

PERSONAL:

Born August 29, 1961, in Wilmington, DE. Education: Graduate degrees, Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University; studied piano, clarinet, viola, and percussion. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, languages, boxing, football, playing percussion in local orchestras, writing, and science fiction.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Brooklyn, NY. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer, editor, musician, and producer. ClassicsToday.com, founder, executive editor, and advertising manager. Also founder and chairman of the Classical Internet Awards (formerly the Cannes Classical Awards), producer of Classics Exposed for Denon Records and Earquake for Ondine Records, and radio commentator for National Public Radio's Performance Today and WNYC's Soundcheck.

WRITINGS:

Beethoven or Bust: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Listening to Great Music, Anchor Books (New York, NY), 1992.

The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual, Amadeus Press (Pompton Plains, NJ), 2004.

Dvorak: Romantic Music's Most Versatile Genius, Amadeus Press (Pompton Plains, NJ), 2005.

Exploring Haydn: A Listener's Guide to Music's Boldest Innovator, Amadeus Press (Pompton Plains, NJ), 2005.

Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works, Amadeus Press (Pompton Plains, NJ), 2005.

Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Vocal Works, Amadeus Press (Pompton Plains, NJ), 2005.

Shostakovich Symphonies and Concertos: An Owner's Manual, Amadeus Press (Pompton Plains, NJ), 2006.

Sibelius: The Orchestral Works; An Owner's Manual, Amadeus (Pompton Plains, NJ), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

David Hurwitz is the founder and editor of the Internet classical music review magazine, ClassicsToday.com. He has also produced recordings, founded the Classical Internet Awards, and served as a radio commentator on classical music. In addition, he is the author of several books that provide an in-depth look at the works of major classical composers. In his books, the author discusses topics such as the most important aspects of various composers' works, their different styles, and, if appropriate, the innovations they made to classical music composition. Most of his books include CD recordings of the composers' works.

The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual was called "an outstanding detailed description" of Gustav Mahler's works by a contributor to Bookwatch. In his discussion of Mahler's ten completed symphonies, Hurwitz explores the symphonies' arrangements, how the various works relate to each other, and how the composition of one symphony led Mahler to his next composition. The author includes two appendices that feature a discussion of the composer's use of the orchestra and a series of tables illustrating key musical features. A CD of performances of Mahler's work is also included. Noting that Hurwitz writes "in clear, concise language," a contributor to the Literati Magazine Web site also wrote that the book "offer[s] music lovers and record collectors a comprehensive overview of his music, what it sounds like, how it is organized, its form, content, and meaning, as it strikes today's listeners." Kirk McElhearn, writing on the MusicWeb International, noted: "I was totally surprised to find that a book that simply tells me what to listen to, and when, could have such an effect on my appreciation of a composer's music."

Exploring Haydn: A Listener's Guide to Music's Boldest Innovator includes two CDs along with the author's in-depth analysis of the composer's works. The author begins his book with a general discussion of classical music as a form with a focus on sonatas. He goes on to explore in detail Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 88 in G, as well as other works by the composer, who is known as the father of the classical symphony. The author also includes letters written by Haydn, which Music & Vision Web site contributor Anna Franco found to be "a wonderful way to introduce us to the man through his writing and some personal anecdotes." The author also includes a chapter of questions and answers and four appendices of Haydn's works by genre. Zanne Marie Gray, writing on BookReview.com, noted that the author "acquaints readers with Haydn's innovative melodic creativity … [and] his revolutionary use of musical form." A Bookwatch contributor called Exploring Haydn "a ‘must’ for any serious classical music student."

Hurwitz has written two books about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Vocal Works and Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works. In the former, the author focuses on Mozart's operas, such as The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute; single arias; and various sacred works, such as Ave Verum Corpus. The book includes a CD of fourteen works by Mozart. Judith Malafronte, writing in Opera News, called Hurwitz "a savvy writer and critic with a real knack for transmitting information vividly" and added that "singers, conductors, directors and opera-lovers on any level will find interesting observations and insightful comments."

Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works discusses aspects of Mozart's instrumental works, such as separate movements within a composition and the composer's unique stylings. In a review of the author's examination of Mozart's instrumental works, American Music Teacher contributor James Litzelman noted: "The ability to enjoy hearing great classical music can be greatly enhanced if one has a little background information about the basic elements of music. In Getting the Most Out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works, David Hurwitz takes a fresh approach to helping the classical music novice understand these basic elements."

Shostakovich Symphonies and Concertos: An Owner's Manual includes two CDs to enhance the author's analysis of Dmitri Shostakovich's works, focusing on such aspects as particular movements and atmosphere. A Bookwatch contributor wrote that the author also "delves into the intricacies of classical style in general."

A Reference & Research Book News contributor noted that Hurwitz goes "beyond the familiar" in his book Dvorak: Romantic Music's Most Versatile Genius. The book includes two CDs containing twenty-two compositions by the composer. Sibelius: The Orchestral Works; An Owner's Manual focuses on the compositions of the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, who died in 1957. Hurwitz comments on the composer's symphonies, violin concertos, theatrical music, and other works. The author also discusses other Finnish composers. The book includes two CDs featuring Sibelius's work and the work of some of his contemporaries. An Internet Bookwatch contributor noted that Sibelius includes an "in-depth, at times modestly technical analysis."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

American Music Teacher, August-September, 2005, James Litzelman, review of Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works, p. 101; April-May, 2006, Louis Nagel, review of Exploring Haydn: A Listener's Guide to Music's Boldest Innovator, p. 91; December, 2006, Cheryl Coker, review of Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Vocal Works, p. 77.

Booklist, April 15, 1992, Stuart Whitwell, review of Beethoven or Bust: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Listening to Great Music, p. 1494.

Bookwatch, February, 2005, "Amadeus Press," review of The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual; May, 2005, "Amadeus Press," review of Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works; February, 2006, review of Exploring Haydn; August, 2006, "Amadeus Press," review of Shostakovich: Symphonies and Concertos: An Owner's Manual.

California Bookwatch, January, 2007, review of Exploring Haydn.

Choice, July-August, 2005, M. Meckna, review of The Mahler Symphonies, p. 1996; March, 2006, E. Schwarts, review of Dvorak: Romantic Music's Most Versatile Genius, p. 1236; April, 2006, C.A. Kolczynski, review of Exploring Haydn, p. 1414; December, 2006, R.R. Smith, review of Shostakovich Symphonies and Concertos, p. 655.

Internet Bookwatch, February, 2005, "Amadeus Press," review of Shostakovich Symphonies and Concertos; August, 2006, "Amadeus Press," review of Shostakovich Symphonies and Concertos; May, 2007, review of Sibelius: The Orchestral Works; An Owner's Manual; June, 2007, review of Sibelius.

Library Journal, March 15, 1992, E. Gaub, review of Beethoven or Bust, p. 89.

Opera News, October, 2005, Judith Malafronte, review of Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Vocal Works, p. 82.

Reference & Research Book News, May, 2005, David Hurwitz, review of Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works, p. 237; May, 2005, David Hurwitz, review of The Mahler Symphonies, p. 233; August, 2005, review of Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Vocal Works, p. 220; November, 2005, review of Dvorak; February, 2006, review of Exploring Haydn; August, 2006, review of Shostakovich Symphonies and Concertos; August, 2007, review of Sibelius.

Reviewer's Bookwatch, April, 2005, review of The Mahler Symphonies.

Wisconsin Bookwatch, July, 2006, review of Shostakovich Symphonies and Concertos.

ONLINE

BookReview.com,http://www.bookreview.com/ (January 29, 2008), Zanne Marie Gray, reviews of Exploring Haydn and Getting the Most Out of Mozart: The Vocal Works.

Literati Magazine,http://www.literati-magazine.com/ (January 29, 2008), review of The Mahler Symphonies.

Music & Vision,http://www.mvdaily.com/ (July 16, 2006), Anna Franco, "A Listeners' Guide to the Music of Haydn," review of Exploring Haydn.

MusicWeb International,http://www.musicweb-international.com/ (January 29, 2008), Kirk McElhearn, review of The Mahler Symphonies.