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CHOICE Review

Miller's collection of newly commissioned essays covers Nielsen research that has not been available to English-speaking audiences before. The book is not intended to be a comprehensive study of the composer. One group of essays focuses on aesthetic, cultural, and historical issues. Other essays consider Nielsen's music: several cover orchestral works; there is one essay each on solo, chamber, and vocal music. There are also 27 newly translated letters. The book includes a wide variety of scholarly approaches. This diversity is both a strength and a weakness. The logic of including two essays written in the 1930s--apparently to contrast with the new essays of the 1990s--does not seem convincing. Miller (Univ. of Kentucky) wrote a number of interesting short pieces ("Interludes") that briefly cover topics not examined in other essays, but these get lost among the more extensive articles. The quality of research varies, but there are many fine essays, for example those by Mark Devoto, Joel Lester, and Harald Krebs. The overview of Nielsen research to date is extremely valuable. The book is excellent for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers. C. Cai Kenyon College