The Barbra Streisand Companion

Book excerpt: Barbra Streisand has enjoyed worldwide artistic success for more than three decades, and her recordings are a consistent and integral part of her multifaceted professional life. As part of Greenwood's series, Companions to Celebrated Musicians, this volume explores the musical life and style of Barbra Streisand and places her in the context of American popular music of the second half of the 20th century. Attention is given to other aspects of her career as they relate to her recordings. Chapters proceed chronologically and trace Streisand's evolving musical career and her successes. Analytical sections focus on musical elements, such as instrumentation and orchestration, melody, harmony, rhythm and tone, dynamics, and form, as they examine in detail Streisand's recordings and songs. This study of Barbra Streisand's music will appeal to American and popular music scholars and fans alike. The detailed musical analysis is written in straightforward prose. An appendix includes an album discography, song discography, and listing of other recordings and videos. An extensive bibliography serves as a guide to further research.