Hoffnung At Large

Jan 17, 2025 12:54 PM

Author:Gerard Hoffnung,Humphrey Lyttleton

Hoffnung At Large

Gerard Hoffnung was an artist, musician, broadcaster, raconteur - and genius. A true Renaissance Man, the multi-faceted Hoffnung crammed a great deal into his tragically short life. Using much previously unreleased archive material, this audio biography, presented by Humphrey Lyttelton, looks at every aspect of his life and career. From his childhood in Berlin to his eventual fame as a musician and cartoonist, Hoffnung's unique comic vision shines through. Here are golden moments from ‘Desert Island Discs’, ‘One Minute Please’ and ‘Saturday Night on the Light’, plus recollections from friends, contemporaries and his widow, Annetta. Contributors include Ian Hislop, Harry Enfield, John Dankworth, Flanders and Swann, and even Colin Dexter, recalling Hoffnung the schoolmaster. Sam Wanamaker and Joseph Horowitz remember the Hoffnung Festival Hall concerts, which featured compositions for vacuum cleaners, road rammers and a watering can. And, we hear Hoffnung in his own inimitable words, talking about his life, music and art... and telling the famous bricklayer story in his Oxford Union address. The perfect showcase for Gerard's many talents, this is an essential addition to any Hoffnung fan's collection.

Reviews

Julia Blackburn's book gives a far more complete idea of Holiday as an artist than anything else I have read

—— Guardian

This is a raw, true book that evokes not just the life of the great singer Billie Holiday but an entire jazz era.... Blackburn's compelling tale is of whores, drug-pushers, bent policemen and crooked lawyers as well as brilliant musicians, and she brings alive everything she touches

—— Mail on Sunday

This addition to the tide of Billie Holiday books is extremely welcome. Nowhere else is the context of her life and work so vividly captured

—— Toni Morrison

Full of vigour and colour...Ms Blackburn's portrait of a unique artist is moving, revealing and quite unforgettable

—— Economist

Julia Blackburn...has contributed much to the legacy of a remarkable human being

—— New Statesman

With her assured touch, she has transcribed and framed the verbatim accounts into a resonant piece of social history, never losing sight of the woman who enthralled everyone with whom she came into contact

—— Financial Times

Often books about jazz musicians make the mistake of over-focusing on the music. Blackburn is more interested in Billie as a person

—— Mike Figgis , Guardian

This is a really marvellous book, the most uninhibitedly intimate portrayal ever of the short, hard life and overall musical triumph of Lady Day...With Billie vividly reflects the chaos that Billie Holiday was born into and only rarely escaped from

—— Spectator

Previous Article：Mozart and His Operas Next Article：Paul Temple And The Sullivan Mystery

Comments

Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.