About the Book
Enriched by biographical detail, historical background, musical examples, and many finely nuanced observations, this volume is a treasury of insight and information. Readers will find illuminating discussion of the complete symphonies of Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Sibelius, and Mahler, as well as of the most loved symphonic works of Schubert, Bruckner, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and others. We learn how to listen more sharply for Haydn's humor, to Mozart's
singular combination of pathos with grace, and to the evolution of Beethoven's musical ideas in his nine symphonies. This remarkable range and variety of composers are illuminated by Steinberg's deft,
inviting, and intensely personal essays, which give such a vivid portrait of each composer's personality that the reader gets an immediate sense of how the work is a direct expression of the person from whose soul and brain it has sprung.Tracing the ways in which composers have dealt with the musical challenges that have engaged them throughout the centuries, Steinberg takes us through the revolutions of expression, sound, and form that have shaped the symphony's remarkable history.
Whether beginners or veterans, music lovers will listen to the symphony with enlivened interest and deeper understanding with Steinberg's masterful guide in hand.
About the Author :
Michael Steinberg is the program annotator of the San Francisco Symphony and the New York Philharmonic and earlier served the Boston Symphony in the same capacity. He has been on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music and the New England Conservatory, has lectured and taught widely in America and Europe, and was the music critic for The Boston Globe for twelve years.
Review :
"The Symphony may be recommended warmly to music lovers on all levels of interest and expertise.... The writing is wonderfully clear, personal, and specific." --The Washington Post
"Lucid, witty, and composed by a master stylist, Steinberg's essays offer a magnificent blend of biographical detail, accessible musical analysis, subjective reflection, and entertaining whimsy. Whether he is guiding a reader through the intricacies of a Mahler symphony, unearthing new treasures in a familiar Beethoven score or correlating the strange performance history of Charles Ives's symphonies with his own concert-going life, Steinberg's writing is both
authoritative and deeply personal. His immense knowledge of music, and the ease with which he deploys it, have made him the acknowledged master of this particular form."--San Francisco Chronicle
"The Symphony may be recommended warmly to music lovers on all levels of interest and expertise.... The writing is wonderfully clear, personal, and specific."--The Washington Post
"Steinberg writes with unflagging enthusiasm.... An informed and thoughtful guide, The Symphony merits serious attention."--Chicago Tribune
"The finest symphonic guide issued in more than a decade."--Newark Sunday Star-Ledger
"Rush over to the bookstore and find Michael Steinberg's The Symphony.... Every entry shows insight and a real love for the music."--Jeff Bradley, The Denver Post
"Lucid, witty, and composed by a master stylist, Steinberg's essays offer a magnificent blend of biographical detail, accessible musical analysis, subjective reflection, and entertaining whimsy. Whether he is guiding a reader through the intricacies of a Mahler symphony, unearthing new treasures in a familiar Beethoven score or correlating the strange performance history of Charles Ives's symphonies with his own concert-going life, Steinberg's writing is both
authoritative and deeply personal. His immense knowledge of music, and the ease with which he deploys it, have made him the acknowledged master of this particular form."--San Francisco Chronicle
"I wish every music lover or would-be music lover would read Michael Steinberg's book. Besides the unique artistry and elegance that are his hallmarks, he is able to humanize the world of classical music and all its fabulous and colorful inhabitants, from Mozart to Mahler to Martinu. His beautiful and effortless prose speaks from the heart and to the heart: I always learn something from him. We were the beneficiaries in Boston for longer than we deserved of
Michael's gifts. I'm glad that the world-at-large has a chance to revel in them."--Seiji Ozawa, Music Director, Boston Symphony Orchestra
"Here's a treat for those addicted to reading the program notes before the concert begins. They will find that Steinberg has done for symphonies what Milton Cross did for operas...[The essays] offer both the concertgoer and the audiophile the chance to study a symphony from a point of view that is more personal than that of most recording liner notes."--Booklist
"Michael Steinberg's impact on music throughout the world has always made a strong impression on me. His knowledge and seriousness make him an outstanding partner--resulting in a high level of musical interpretation. We, at the New York Philharmonic, are looking forward to a fruitful collaboration with him."--Kurt Masur, Conductor, The New York Philharmonic Symphony
"A well-written, informative introduction to the repertory."--Library Journal
"A book written by someone who knows and loves music deeply and who engagingly communicates his great insight into the art. It is keenly informative, witty and conversational. It is an essential book for any concertgoer and any new or veteran fan of classical music."--Michael Tilson Thomas, Music Director, The San Francisco Symphony
"Michael Steinberg's program notes have been admired for 30 years by those audiences (mainly in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Minneapolis) fortunate enough to have him writing for them. I have only to pick up a program from one of these cities to recognize Michael's notes by their irresistible personal style: intimate, humane, passionate, and intensely well-informed. Collected together, these essays on the central symphonic repertoire will enrich many
new listener's lives with their unpontificating 'insider's' view, born of years of thoughtful experience and love of music."--Roger Norrington, Musical Director, London Classical Players
"Michael Steinberg represents the gold standard of music criticism. His is a mind of immense subtelty and learning that expresses itself with generosity, humor, accessibility, and a noticeable absence of pomposity. This is a book of 1001 pleasures."--John Adams, Composer
"Michael Steinberg is one of the very few writers who can really bring a listener close to the music. He not only knows what he is talking about--and eminently so--but finds the most elegant, striking, and often surprising ways of saying it. He is a true artist who uses words, instead of bows or fingers, to articulate what he has found in the music. He is the composer's and interpreter's unfailing ally, and the listeners' devoted friend. His love of music is
contagious."--Herbert Blomstedt, Conductor Laureate, The San Francisco Symphony
