Marc Blitzstein

Pollack (music, Univ. of Houston; George Gershwin: His Life and Work) weaves an exceptional biography and critical analysis of an American composer who deserves more scholarly attention than he has previously received. The arguably little-known Marc Blitzstein led a fascinating and tragic life in addition to being a fairly prolific composer of theater music, instrumental works, and operas. Pollack takes the reader from Blitzstein's early and traditional music education with Arnold Schoenberg and Nadia Boulanger through his unconventional marriage and to his brutal murder at age 58. The author reveals an individual who was withdrawn and depressed and who embraced his homosexuality but was ultimately haunted by a largely unrequited desire for romantic love. Pollack also offers insightful musical analysis and carefully contextualizes Blitzstein's works—the most notable, perhaps, being the controversial, pro-union 1937 Broadway musical The Cradle Will Rock.