A World Elsewhere. Erik Ryding and Out of Print. Bruno Walter, one of the greatest conductors in the twentieth century, lived a fascinating life in difficult times.
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So much of this music sings, and instrumental singing, above all, was what Walter demanded of his orchestras: And when they don't sing enough or they do it too loudly or inelegantly, you see him flinch.
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Toscanini would have hectored his players at this point; Walter looks disappointed and asks them to have another go. Walter was always drawn to the singing line in music. Under his direction, Wagner's music glows ecstatically.
The opposite side of this coin was that, in overtly rhetorical music, Walter sometimes seemed less happy. However much you might want to hear him conduct Brahms's second symphony, for the first symphony you'd probably turn to Klemperer or Toscanini. And depending upon whether you believe Mahler to be a late Romantic or an early modernist, you will either adore Walter's conducting of that composer's music or find it schmalzy.
Gustav Mahler was Walter's mentor. The young conductor was able to discuss with Mahler the orchestration of his sixth and seventh symphonies and, after the composer's death in , Walter conducted the premieres of both the ninth symphony and Das Lied von der Erde. It is this direct line to the composer that is supposed to give Walter's interpretations their authority, but Klemperer knew Mahler, too, and his ideas about the symphonies were very different to Walter's.
In Ryding and Pechefsky's book, we learn rather too little about Walter the musician. Some detailed comparison between him and Klemperer would have been especially instructive, but the authors aren't much good on music, their language vague, their judgements subjective.
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This engrossing book is the first full-length biography of Walter in English. Born in Berlin, Walter began his long and eventful career in provincial theaters; his successes there led to positions at the premier opera houses of Berlin and Vienna. Then for a decade he served as Bavarian music director, conducting opera in three theaters and giving symphonic concerts.
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Bruno Walter: A World Elsewhere
Bruno Walter was born to an upper middle class home in Berlin. He was a child prodigy composing and conducting with such ensembles as the Berlin Symphony. Walter became the assistant to the genius Gustav Mahler winning the admiration of the prickly man of music. Walter's music room was all of Europe and the great concert halls and recording studios heard his majestic music making in operas, symphonies and chamber music.
He composed until forsaking creative compositon to become a peerless conductor of works by Mahler; Beethoven;Brahms; Bruckner; Wagner; Verdi and the other gods in music's pantheon. Walter had seen and experienced tragedy. His younger daughter Greta was murdered by her husband; he lost his homeland as the Nazis conquered Austria and expelled him and other Jewish geniuses from the Reich; he had extramarital affairs but was a decent, honorable and serious man.
Walter loved literature becoming friendly with Thomas Mann the great novelists; he enjoyed reading, writing on music and was a strong but understanding conductor. He and Toscanini were friends. This is a book for those who are familiar with classical music. He eventually emigrated to the United States, where he led the New York Philharmonic and other orchestras, developed a deep interest in the writings of Rudolf Steiner, and made touchstone recordings with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra.
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This book is not yet featured on Listopia. A very accurate account of the German conductor, but it's a rather dry read. Martin rated it really liked it Sep 03, Gerald Churchill rated it it was amazing Apr 08, David rated it really liked it Dec 10, Bahman rated it really liked it Jun 19, Warren Davis rated it it was amazing Jan 29, Patrick rated it really liked it Jan 30, Judith rated it it was amazing Aug 28, Peter rated it it was amazing Jan 09, Corey Thornton rated it liked it Oct 08, Frank Beck rated it it was amazing May 02,