Richard Williams’ article on the year’s best music books (Review, 5 December) was too narrowly focused and so missed Ian Bostridge’s magnificent book on Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise – Schubert’s Winter Journey. Bostridge devotes a chapter of the book to each of the cycle’s 24 songs, and his relationship to them as a performer, discussing in detail his approach to the songs. But it is much more than that. He ponders the place of song in German culture, he discusses politics, science, history and philosophy, the thoughts that arise as he prepares to perform this wonderful work. It’s much more likely that there will be books written about Winterreise in a couple of generations’ time than there will be about either of the Joneses, Tom and Grace, that Williams discusses.
Huw Kyffin
Canterbury
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