The Maestro Myth: Great Conductors in Pursuit of Power

This book is not tabloid. The book is going to brook criticism for being one of the only books to just start talking about the conductor problem. Like a dictionary for the music history of conductors. Why are orchestras going out of business whilst orchestral musicians are dreadfully unhappy and relatively poor? Who's left but the "maestro" who represents the star and rakes in the profits? Bad editing aside, we need to know more. pretty eezy to read.

Lebrecht writes trenchantly about the music business. Many of his observations are carefully considered, if impolitic. Those who idolize the "great conductors" will be very uncomfortable reading about their equally outsided foibles. The author's conclusions are his own and may not be to everyone's taste. However, Lebrecht has enough backbone not to be trying to please everyone--for that way also would lie a boring book. No, he's trying to tell the truth as he sees it. This volume does not pretend to be a complete or scholarly treatment of all the major conductors within recent memory and Lebrecht clearly has his favorites (such as Simon Rattle). The editing leaves much to be desired because typos abound. Is this entirely the author's fault, or does the editor share the blame? If you want to know that we're all human and some more so than others, this is a book for you. It's not geared to people who don't already know something about the subject, so you need to be a classical music buff to come away feeling the impact of what Lebrecht has told you. If you are, you will see clear examples of how the press is often prejudiced (not to say sometimes vindictive, as in the case of Mitropoulos), how public taste is shaped by odd events and sometimes how virtue is punished. I feel a little guilty giving this book only 4 stars because its writing is up to a high standard and its thesis is interesting, but the substandard editing is, nevertheless, distracting to the reader.

Perhaps Lebrecht has an ax to grind, but he does it so well, soon you will too. The classical music world, like any other professional art, is cut throat and has its hacks. Lebrecht's intimate knowledge of 20th century conductors offers an informative, entertaining, and fascinating insight into this citadel. It is akin to reading a profiles article in the New Yorker. Very well done!

The public rarely gets to hear about the personal and often embarassing side of orchestral conductors' lives. If you hold conductors like Toscanini, Beecham, and Karajan in the same light as gods, you might want to pass on this. Highly recommended.

Through his realism and curmudgeonliness, Lebrecht evaluates many (and eviscerates several) world famous classical conductors. I am aware that he is feared in the music business for his honest pronouncements, but his style is so deft and his prejudices so well-founded (and coincidental to mine), that he leaves his readers wanting more of his views. As a music critic, I recommend this work unreservedly to those interested in the subject