The Letters of Arturo Toscanini by Harvey Sachs

The Letters of Arturo Toscanini by Harvey Sachs

Toscanini (1867-1957) was one of the most celebrated conductors in musical history. With his photographic memory and amazing ear he raised the standards of orchestras and opera ensembles to previously undreamed-of heights. He conducted the world premières of Leoncavallo's Pagliacci and Puccini's La Bohème and Turandot. Yet he never wrote a memoir or granted interviews. Now we are brought close to him in 700 letters, the vast majority of them previously unpublished. There is fascinating correspondence with his wife and children, but he writes about his tempestuous affairs and erotic adventures with equal fascination. And he writes with particular vehemence about his opposition to Fascism, Nazism, and Mussolini: 'you won't find [anyone] who is more of a delinquent, more of a criminal than that ignoble animal!' Vivid and impassioned, the letters reveal the depth of his musical knowledge and insight, and shed enormous light on the musical life of his time.

Harvey Sachs is a writer and music historian. His many books include standard biographies of Arturo Toscanini and Arthur Rubinstein, Music in Fascist Italy and Virtuoso. His most recent work is The Letters of Arturo Toscanini, which he compiled, translated and edited, and he assisted Plácido Domingo and Sir Georg Solti with their memoirs. He has written for many major journals and newspapers including the Times Literary Supplement, Guardian, Observer, Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine, New Yorker, New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780571196296
ISBN 10	0571196292
Title	The Letters of Arturo Toscanini
Author	Harvey Sachs
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Faber & Faber
Year published	2002-05-06
Number of pages	496
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.