Cardus
Celebrant of Beauty
Published on 4. March 2009
Book
Hardback
480 pages
978-1-874181-58-3 (ISBN)
Description
Neville Cardus was born in Rusholme, Manchester in 1888. He was the first music critic to be knighted, the most evocative - and most often quoted - writer on cricket of all time, and one of the great English essayists of the 20th century. It is hard to believe that so majestic and cultured a writer left school at the age of 13. For more than half a century, he wrote about music and cricket for the Manchester Guardian. His first senior editor was the legendary C P Scott. His first literary editor - also mentor - was C E Montague, a distinguished writer and drama critic. Cardus wrote 21 books: 10 about cricket, eight about music, and three volumes of autobiography. Cardus was a friend of cricketers (Don Bradman and Keith Miller), writers (J M Barrie and J B Priestley), actresses (Flora Robson and Wendy Hillier), and musicians (Beecham, Barbirolli, Menuhin, Arrau, Schnabel, Ferrier and Lotte Lehmann). Although he spent the last years of his life in London, he retained his love of Lancashire. He was honoured by the Halle Orchestra, and served as president of Lancashire County Cricket Club.
Neville Cardus was born in Rusholme, Manchester in 1888. He was the first music critic to be knighted, the most evocative - and most often quoted - writer on cricket of all time, and one of the great English essayists of the 20th century. It is hard to believe that so majestic and cultured a writer left school at the age of 13. For more than half a century, he wrote about music and cricket for the Manchester Guardian. His first senior editor was the legendary C P Scott. His first literary editor - also mentor - was C E Montague, a distinguished writer and drama critic. Cardus wrote 21 books: 10 about cricket, eight about music, and three volumes of autobiography. Cardus was a friend of cricketers (Don Bradman and Keith Miller), writers (J M Barrie and J B Priestley), actresses (Flora Robson and Wendy Hillier), and musicians (Beecham, Barbirolli, Menuhin, Arrau, Schnabel, Ferrier and Lotte Lehmann). Although he spent the last years of his life in London, he retained his love of Lancashire. He was honoured by the Halle Orchestra, and served as president of Lancashire County Cricket Club.
Neville Cardus was born in Rusholme, Manchester in 1888. He was the first music critic to be knighted, the most evocative - and most often quoted - writer on cricket of all time, and one of the great English essayists of the 20th century. It is hard to believe that so majestic and cultured a writer left school at the age of 13. For more than half a century, he wrote about music and cricket for the Manchester Guardian. His first senior editor was the legendary C P Scott. His first literary editor - also mentor - was C E Montague, a distinguished writer and drama critic. Cardus wrote 21 books: 10 about cricket, eight about music, and three volumes of autobiography. Cardus was a friend of cricketers (Don Bradman and Keith Miller), writers (J M Barrie and J B Priestley), actresses (Flora Robson and Wendy Hillier), and musicians (Beecham, Barbirolli, Menuhin, Arrau, Schnabel, Ferrier and Lotte Lehmann). Although he spent the last years of his life in London, he retained his love of Lancashire. He was honoured by the Halle Orchestra, and served as president of Lancashire County Cricket Club.
Reviews / Votes
Neville Cardus has many imitators but no equal. Andrew Flintoff Neville Cardus wrote with such elegance. This memoir by his friend Robin Daniels is a worthy tribute. Daniel Barenboim Robin Daniels' memoir will have you smiling and pondering. It will bring joy. Sir Colin Davis The Cardus/Daniels duo has given us a book to live by. Seldom has a great writer been so well served by his Boswell. Dennis Silk Cardus - the very name has magic, an aura. He was a great and many-sided man. Keith Fagan, Musical Opinion What pleasure he gives to cricket lovers all over the world. Cardus is a master of his art, a literary genius. Don Bradman Cardus can translate every manifestation of our shared humanity into beauty and meaning. In Neville Cardus, the artist has an ally. Yehudi MenuhinNeville Cardus has many imitators but no equal. Andrew Flintoff Neville Cardus wrote with such elegance. This memoir by his friend Robin Daniels is a worthy tribute. Daniel Barenboim Robin Daniels' memoir will have you smiling and pondering. It will bring joy. Sir Colin Davis The Cardus/Daniels duo has given us a book to live by. Seldom has a great writer been so well served by his Boswell. Dennis Silk Cardus - the very name has magic, an aura. He was a great and many-sided man. Keith Fagan, Musical Opinion What pleasure he gives to cricket lovers all over the world. Cardus is a master of his art, a literary genius. Don Bradman Cardus can translate every manifestation of our shared humanity into beauty and meaning. In Neville Cardus, the artist has an ally. Yehudi Menuhin
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Lancaster
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Carnegie Publishing Ltd
Illustrations
32-page picture section
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 159 mm
Thickness: 31 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-874181-58-3 (9781874181583)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Robin Daniels is a Jungian analyst, a musicologist, writer and broadcaster. He has written books of conversations with Yehudi Menuhin and Donald Coggan, and the official history of Blackpool Football Club. He lives in his home county of Lancashire with his wife Katherine. When he was 20 - and a young music critic seeking advice - he began corresponding with Neville Cardus. As their friendship deepened, they began work on the book Conversations with Cardus, which was finished six weeks before he died in 1975. It was one of the Sunday Times's best books of the year. This memoir tells us more about a gifted writer and a special friendship.
Robin Daniels is a Jungian analyst, a musicologist, writer and broadcaster. He has written books of conversations with Yehudi Menuhin and Donald Coggan, and the official history of Blackpool Football Club. He lives in his home county of Lancashire with his wife Katherine. When he was 20 - and a young music critic seeking advice - he began corresponding with Neville Cardus. As their friendship deepened, they began work on the book Conversations with Cardus, which was finished six weeks before he died in 1975. It was one of the Sunday Times's best books of the year. This memoir tells us more about a gifted writer and a special friendship.
Robin Daniels is a Jungian analyst, a musicologist, writer and broadcaster. He has written books of conversations with Yehudi Menuhin and Donald Coggan, and the official history of Blackpool Football Club. He lives in his home county of Lancashire with his wife Katherine. When he was 20 - and a young music critic seeking advice - he began corresponding with Neville Cardus. As their friendship deepened, they began work on the book Conversations with Cardus, which was finished six weeks before he died in 1975. It was one of the Sunday Times's best books of the year. This memoir tells us more about a gifted writer and a special friendship.
Content
Illustrations xi Acknowledgements xiv Forewords Andrew Flintoff xvii Daniel Barenboim xviii Sir Colin Davis xix Dennis Silk xxi Introduction Synchronicity xxiii Conversations xxv Prelude or Peril? xxvii I: EARLY LIFE Setting 3 Education 7 Cricket as a Boy 9 First Jobs 11 Emerging 13 Shrewsbury 15 II: THE GUARDIAN Manchester Guardian 21 C P Scott 26 Pillared Columns 30 Sub-editors 31 C E Montague 34 More about Montague 37 The Guardian Ethos 40 III: CRICKET 'Cricketer' 47 A C MacLaren 49 Heroic Lancastrians 51 Lancashire versus Yorkshire 55 Hobbs and Bradman 58 Tall Icon from Tasmania 61 Cricket Gems 64 Lord's, Home of Cricket 67 Golden Age 69 IV: MUSIC Artistic Context 75 Samuel Langford 80 Chief Music Critic 90 Ernest Newman 93 Wagner 102 Shaw 105 Love of Music 112 His Attributes as Critic 115 Reviewing Music 117 Gentle Critic 121 Composers 124 Friend of Musicians 128 Pianists 130 Conductors 134 A Beecham Entr'acte 138 A Lifelong Courtship 144 V: THE ART OF CRITICISM The Purpose and Practice of Criticism 149 Reflections on Modern Art 155 The Critic's Feel for the Whole of Life 161 The Critic as Artist 164 The Impossible Profession 169 The Fallacy of Objectivity 183 What is the Objective? 190 In Praise of a Feeling Response 195 The Critic's Real Self 205 Walter Pater - the Costly Vision 210 The Arts and their Purpose 242 Celebrant of Beauty 253 VI: AUSTRALIA AND LATER CAREER Australia 265 Autobiography 267 Later Career 270 VII: THE WRITER Writer 275 The Essence of Good Writing 278 Imagery 286 Observant 290 Wonder 293 Inventive 297 Facts or Feelings? 299 Technical Knowledge 301 Inspiration and the Artistic Unconscious 308 Intuition 313 Essayist 315 Quality 319 Influential 325 Enthusiasm 329 VIII: THE MAN Visits 343 Style 345 All-rounder 347 Modest 354 Money 358 Deipnosophist 360 Encounter 363 Solitude 367 His Own Man 369 Wholeness 372 Discovering 375 Sharing Joy 377 Humour 381 Glow 383 Chastity of the Senses 387 Roots 390 Mature 392 Undimmed 395 IX: FAREWELL Agnostic? 401 Fleeting Time 403 Kathleen Ferrier - Abschied 406 Obituary 409 Finale 412 Epitaph 415 Appendix A Board School 416 Appendix B Writers for the Manchester Guardian 423 Appendix C Notable Cricketers 1920-1960 427 Appendix D Notable Musicians 1920-1960 431 Appendix E Qualities of a Music Critic 440 Books by Neville Cardus 444 Index 445