Despite the Modernist search for new and innovative aesthetics and rejection of traditional tonality, several twentieth century composers have found their own voice while steadfastly relying on the aesthetics and techniques of Romanticism and 19th century composition principles. Musicological and reference texts have regarded these composers as isolated exceptions to modern thoughts of composition-exceptions of little importance, treated simplistically and superficially. Music critic and scholar Walter Simmons, however, believes these composers and their works should be taken seriously. They are worthy of more scholarly consideration, and deserve proper analysis, assessment, and discussion in their own regard. In Voices in the Wilderness, the first in a series of books celebrating the "Twentieth-Century Traditionalist," Simmons looks at six Neo-Romantic composers:
Ernest Bloch
Howard Hanson
Vittorio Giannini
Paul Creston
Samuel Barber
Nicolas Flagello
Through biographical overviews and a comprehensive assessment of musical works, Simmons provides readers with a clear understanding of the significance of the composers, their bodies of work, and their placement in musicological history. The chapters delve deeply and objectively into each composer's oeuvre, addressing their origins, stylistic traits and consistencies, phases of development, strengths and weaknesses, and affinities with other composers. The composers' most representative works are identified, and each chapter concludes with a discography of essential recordings.
Visit the author's website to read samples from the book and to listen to representative excerpts of each composer's work.

Walter Simmons has received the National Educational Film Festival Award and the ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award for music criticism. He has contributed articles to The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, American National Biography, Fanfare, Music Journal, and Musical America.

Part 1 Acknowledgments Part 2 1. Introduction Chapter 3 The American Neo-Romantics Chapter 4 Organization and Use of This Book Chapter 5 Notes Chapter 6 Selected Bibliography Part 7 2. Ernest Bloch Chapter 8 Biography Chapter 9 Music Chapter 10 Most Representative, Fully Realized Works Chapter 11 Early Works: First European Period (1901-1906) Chapter 12 Maturity: First European Period (1909-1916) Chapter 13 Maturity: New York Period (1916-1919) Chapter 14 Maturity: Cleveland Period (1920-1925) Chapter 15 Maturity: San Francisco Period (1925-1929) Chapter 16 Maturity: Second European Period (1930-1939) Chapter 17 Later Maturity: Oregon Period (1939-1959) Chapter 18 Conclusion Chapter 19 Notes Part 20 3. Howard Hanson Chapter 21 Biography Chapter 22 Music Chapter 23 Most Representative, Fully Realized Works Chapter 24 Early Period (until 1920) Chapter 25 Early Maturity (1921-1946) Chapter 26 Later Maturity (after 1947) Chapter 27 Conclusion Chapter 28 Notes Chapter 29 Selected Bibliography Chapter 30 Essential Discography Part 31 4. Vittorio Giannini Chapter 32 Biography Chapter 33 Music Chapter 34 Most Representative, Fully Realized Works Chapter 35 First Phase (1920s through Early 1940s) Chapter 36 Second Phase (Early 1940s through 1960s) Chapter 37 Third Phase (1960-1966) Chapter 38 Conclusion Chapter 39 Notes Chapter 40 Selected Bibliography Chapter 41 Essential Discography Part 42 5. Paul Creston Chapter 43 Biography Chapter 44 Music Chapter 45 Stylistic Features Chapter 46 Most Representative, Fully Realized Works Chapter 47 Discussion of Works Chapter 48 Conclusion Chapter 49 Notes Chapter 50 Selected Bibliography Chapter 51 Essential Discography Part 52 6. Samuel Barber Chapter 53 Biography Chapter 54 Music Chapter 55 Most Representative, Fully Realized Works Chapter 56 "Childhood": Early Period (until 1942) Chapter 57 "Adolescence": Period of Exploration and Experimentation (1942 through 1952) Chapter 58 "Adulthood": Music of Maturity (after 1952) Chapter 59 Conclusion Chapter 60 Notes Chapter 61 Selected Bibliography Chapter 62 Essential Discography Part 63 7. Nicolas Flagello Chapter 64 Biography Chapter 65 Music Chapter 66 Most Representative, Fully Realized Works Chapter 67 Early Period (until 1958) Chapter 68 Transitional Period (1958-1959) Chapter 69 Mature Period (1959-1985) Chapter 70 Conclusion Chapter 71 Notes Chapter 72 Selected Bibliography Chapter 73 Essential Discography Part 74 Index Part 75 About the Author