The Maestro Myth

by Lebrecht, Norman

• ISBN13: 9781559721080
• ISBN10: 1559721081
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1992-09-01
• Publisher: Birch Lane Pr

Summary

Nearly ten years after its original publication, The Maestro Myth continues to enthrall readers with its insightful look into the lives and careers of the world's most celebrated conductors. Now updated and including two new chapters, this volume portrays the politics and inflated economics surrounding the podiums of today's international classical music scene, and the obstacles faced by blacks, women, and gays. From Richard Strauss to Herbert von Karajan to Leonard Bernstein to Simon Rattle, The Maesto Myth examines the world of classical music and the mounting crisis in a profession where genuine talent grows ever scarcer. It is a must-have resource for music aficiionados as well as anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes lives of these music masters. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Norman Lebrecht writes on music for the London Sunday Times and contributes to Opera News in New York and other publications

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Making of a Myth	p. 1
The Tears of a Clown	p. 12
The composer as conductor
The personal tragedy of Hans von Bulow
Honest Hans and the Magician	p. 30
Nikisch and Richter
Masters of the House	p. 43
Mahler and Strauss
Walter, Klemperer and Krauss
Facing the Dictators	p. 66
Toscanini v Furtwangler
Szell, Reiner and the Soviet system
The Karajan Case	p. 98
Karajan, Knappertsbusch and Bohm
'A Starving Population and an Absentee Aristocracy'	p. 131
Koussevitsky to Ozawa
Stokowski, showbiz and Previn
The Gremlin in the Garden	p. 152
Beecham v Barbirolli
Kubelik
Solti, Colin Davis and Haitink
Collapse of the Conducting Composer	p. 175
Bernstein and Boulez
Strange Tales from the Vienna Woods	p. 191
Bernstein, Maazel and Levine
Formula Uno	p. 211
Abbado, Muti and Sinopoli, Chailly
The Mavericks	p. 229
Horenstein, Celibidache, two Kleibers and Tennstedt
Insider Dealing	p. 241
Mehta, Barenboim and the Kosher nostra
Left Outside	p. 256
Gays, women, blacks
The Search for a Semi-Conductor	p. 270
Marriner, Munrow, Hogwood and early music
Where Have All the Conductors Gone?	p. 284
The bare future: Rattle, Salonen and Welser-Most
The Master of Them All?	p. 304
Ronald Wilord and the millionaire conductor
Diminuendo	p. 328
The State of Conducting, 2000	p. 331
Conductors and Their Careers	p. 338
Notes	p. 352
Acknowledgements	p. 367
Source List and Bibliography	p. 369
Index	p. 379
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.