Michael Steinberg, musicologist, critic, teacher, chamber music coach, and narrator, is the program annotator of the San Francisco Symphony and the New York Philharmonic. He was music critic of The Boston Globe for twelve years. He lives in Edina, Minnesota.
"A wide range of material--facts about the composers' lives,
notable circumstances surrounding the first performances of the
work--punctuate [Steinberg's] discussion of each work.... For the
amateur with a musical background, this is a valuable and very
interesting collection."--Library Journal
"Each concerto is discussed with impeccable scholarliness an
detailed historical information, but above all, the style of the
writing is unfailingly entertaining."--Maestro Andre Previn
"This collection of articles has a relaxed, easy charm that will
most likely win over readers unfamiliar with the
subject."--Publishers Weekly
"Nobody can draw a reader into appreciation of a piece of classical
music quite like Michael Steinberg.... Steinberg combines
magisterial authority of a musicologist with the deeply personal
point of view of a novelist."--St. Petersburg Times
"The writing is often relaxed and virutuosic, and it always passes
the acid test: after reading Steinberg's freshly considered
thoughts on any piece, I immediately want to heari, or hear it
again.... A few of the longer essays are almost short stories in
themselves. Reading Michael Steinberg on music will definitley make
you a better listener--it might even make some of us better, or at
least humber, writers. More important, he'll remind you of what
makes
great music great."--City, Rochester
"In The Concerto, Michael Steinberg once again gives us essays on
music that are love letters, overflowing with passion and intimate
detail. What reader could fail to be seduced?"--Garrick Ohlsson
"Those who have already discovered how useful and engaging the
earlier book is will be happy to know that their is more of the
same here.... [Steinberg's] style is elegant and informative, his
commentaries do not shy away from a serious analysis of the
music.... He has vast knowledge of European culture, yet there is
an all-American directness and pace to his writing. He wears his
scholarship lightly and chooses well what information to impart to
the reader.
His treatments are models of how program notes should be written
for today's audiences, and it is wonderful to have them collected
in so easily accessible a form."--Ted Libby, The Los Angeles
Times
Book Review
"The Concerto: A Listener's Guide will send you running to the CD
player....this lively, enthusiastic and detailed volume takes
readers through more than 120 concertos, mainly for piano or violin
and orchestra, but including works for cello, clarinet, oboe and
horn. Steinberg is knowledgeable, literate and eloquent."
--Frederic Koeppel, Commercial Appeal
"In The Concerto: A Listener's Guide, Michael Steinberg once again
proves his mastery in translating music to word. In this volume, he
presents an excellent and thorough discussion o concerto repertory,
providing readers with comprehensive, enlightening information that
will definetly enhance their appreciation of this musical form."
--Yo Yo Ma
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