Description:
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2023
A New Yorker Best Book of the Year
"[A]n immensely valuable source for anyone desiring an accessible overview of this endlessly controversial and chronically misunderstood giant of 20th-century music." --John Adams, New York Times Book Review, cover review
An astonishingly lyrical biography that rescues Schoenberg from notoriety, restoring him to his rightful place in the pantheon of twentieth-century composers.
Brief description: Harvey Sachs is the author or coauthor of eleven books, including Toscanini and Music in Fascist Italy. He lives in New York City and is on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
Review Quotes: Sachs deftly weaves together biography and informed opinion to give the reader a full portrait framed in musical and historical context . . . In a letter to a new acquaintance, Schoenberg wrote, 'You can see it isn't easy to get on with me. But don't lose heart because of that.' Sachs makes it easy and enjoyable in this thoughtful and concise work.--Carolyn Mulac "Booklist"