Defending the Music

Reviews / Votes

How wonderful to read Michael Steinberg's brilliant insights on music in this fascinating collection. Defending the Music will appeal to everyone who loves music, from aficionados to the occasional concert attendee. This is clearly a labor of love and compiled with enormous respect. Thanks to Jorja Fleezanis for conceiving the volume and to the editors who brought it to fruition, Michael Steinberg's legacy continues. * Marin Alsop, conductor * This keenly anticipated volume restores to the public square the voice of a major 20th-century classical music critic. As seen in these well-chosen selections, Michael Steinberg's pen was fearless, stylish, and entertaining, blending formidable authority with effortless erudition and personable charm. And while most newspaper reviews are as ephemeral as the concerts they chronicle, Steinberg's prose endures as a bracing reminder of the critic's highest calling: defending the music, advocating for artistic integrity, and making palpable the beauty and bounty of the art form itself. A timely and essential collection. * Jeremy Eichler, former chief classical music critic of the Boston Globe; author of Time's Echo: Music, Memory, and the Second World War * Michael Steinberg had the rare gift of writing about music from the inside out. His reviews are always illuminating, informed by a passion and depth of knowledge that is most rare. Collectively, they form an invaluable chronicle of American musical life, engaging, enlightening and, just occasionally, maddening as he was a man of formidable convictions. * Ara Guzelimian, Artistic and Executive Director, Ojai Music Festival; Former Provost and Dean, the Juilliard School * During the 1960s and '70s, Boston was on a roll with its classical music scene, and Michael Steinberg was the critic who reported on it for the Boston Globe. Boston's early music movement was rising, its composers were at full strength, and its front-rank orchestra-the Boston Symphony Orchestra-performed under four music directors. Steinberg critiqued from the center of the action, often with an edge. Defending the Music reveals as much about a distinctive musical era in Boston as about the intellectual powerhouse at its core. * Carol J. Oja, William Powell Mason Professor, Harvard University * As music critic, essayist, program annotator, and teacher, Michael Steinberg excelled in whatever he happened to be doing. In his early career he became a local legend as a star of the Boston Globe, in that bygone era when classical music criticism mattered to the general public and to newspapers. He was lucid, fearless, and passionate both in his ferocities and his accolades. Whatever the setting, Steinberg's writing has the rare capacity to engage and enlighten both music lovers and musicians. It is, quite simply, some of the best writing on music in the language. This book is a record of his criticism and at the same time a chronicle of a vital era in the musical life of the country. * Jan Swafford, composer and writer, author of Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph; Mozart: The Reign of Love; and Johannes Brahms * I highly recommend this collection, which offers profound insight into Michael Steinberg's writings, philosophy, and viewpoint. Steinberg's ability to articulate the nuances of a performance transforms the reader's experience, encouraging a deeper and more mindful engagement with the music. Each review is masterfully crafted, capturing the essence of the sound while offering deep cultural context. Whether one is a composer, seasoned musician, or casual listener, his expertise provides an invaluable guide to understanding the emotional and technical acumen of the repertoire. He skillfully balances intellectual depth with profound resonance, offering a perspective that is both timely and timeless. A truly essential addition to one's personal collection and to libraries nationwide. * Tania Leon, Composer, Conductor *