A comprehensive biography of one of the twentieth century's greatest conductors
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xv
Abbreviations xix
Chronology xxi
Introduction 1
1. The New Mozart (1897-1929) 3
2. The Conductor Spreads His Wings (1930-38) 23
3. Musical Pioneering in Australia (1938, 1939) 42
4. New World, New Beginnings (1939-46) 56
5. Cleveland: Contest and Commitment (1942-47) 78
6. Szell, the Orchestra Builder (1947-54) 105
7. George Szell and Rudolf Bing (1953-54) 141
8. Keeping the Promise: "Second to None" (1954-57)
149
9. The Golden Years (1957-65) 172
10. The Cleveland Orchestra in the World (1965-68)
223
11. Summers at Home 254
12. Finale: Cleveland, Japan, Korea, Anchorage, Cleveland
(1968-70) 270
Epilogue 289
In Szell's Words 291
Appendix A. "On the 150th Anniversary of Schumann's Birth," by
George Szell 295
Appendix B. Staff and Kulas Foundation Conductors under George
Szell 299
Appendix C. Apprentice Conductor Qualifications 301
Appendix D. 1957 European Tour Repertoire 303
Appendix E. 1965 European Tour Repertoire 305
Appendix F. Szell's Repertoire 307
Discography 331
Notes 355
Bibliography 397
Index 399
Illustrations follow page 104
Michael Charry has conducted widely in the United States and internationally. He earned BS and MS degrees in Orchestral Conducting from the Julliard School of Music in the class of Jean Morel. His other conducting teachers were Pierre Monteux, at his school for conductors in Hancock, Maine; and Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, on a Fulbright Scholarship in Hamburg, Germany. He was a member of the conducting staff of the Cleveland Orchestra for nine years under George Szell and for two years after Szell's death. On the faculty of Mannes College The New School for Music since 1988, he is a former director of the Mannes Orchestra.
"Michael Charry's fluently written, comprehensive biography tells us of Szell the self-deprecating young composer... Periods spent in Australia and Scotland are well documented, and so is Szell as operatic conductor, chamber musician and pianist. There are interesting comparisons between Szell's and Karajan's ways of working... That's what I call an important book." Rob Cowan, Gramophone "A magnificent achievement. I was especially impressed by Mr. Charry's skill in conveying a deep admiration for his subject without falling into the trap of fawning or idol-worshipping--a quality seldom encountered in biographies of great conductors." Stephen C. Hillyer, past president of the Fritz Reiner Society This book is the first full biography of George Szell, one of the greatest orchestra and opera conductors of the twentieth century... There is surely no one more qualified than Michael Charry to write Szell's biography. Mr Charry was a member of the conducting staff of the Cleveland Orchestra for nine years under George Szell and continued for two years after Szell's death. He interviewed him, his family and his associates over several decades, draws on this first hand material and correspondence, orchestra records, reviews, and other archival sources to construct a lively and balanced portrait of Szell's life and work." - Samuel Lewis, Musical Opinion, July 2012
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