John Duke is a towering figure in twentieth century song composition; one who composer Ned Rorem calls “the master of the medium.” The opportunity to view the opinions and attitudes of this exemplary composer in his own words is now available in The Selected Writings of John Duke. Editors Robin Fisher and Ruth C. Friedberg have amassed essays, lectures, reviews, and diaries from the Smith College Archives detailing many facets of Duke’s life and career, while letters of personal correspondence with Friedberg express the composer’s intimate involvement with the poets, performers, and music publishers of his era.

Duke’s articles from music journals are also reprinted here, expressing his concise and cohesive thoughts about word-setting. Valuable appendixes inventory Duke’s complete catalog of works, including comprehensive lists of his songs, arranged both chronologically by composition date and alphabetically by title, detailing literary sources, publishers, and suggested voice categories. These writings paint an interesting picture of American concert life in the middle of the twentieth century, while providing a fascinating insight into Duke’s intellectual and professional development.