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The virtuoso violinist who emerged in the late 1980s to shatter the stereotype of the serious classical musician offers a candid account of his life, from his difficult childhood to his extraordinary professional success

Kennedy, the self-styled "punk violinist," has been an iconoclastic presence in the classical music scene since the late 1980s. His much-discussed recording of Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons sold a million copies and topped both the classical and pop charts in England recently. Kennedy's prose is an apt reflection of his personality and his playing: it is brash and challenging, but also heartfelt. While often his comments are fresh and insightful, the tone and style frequently resemble that of a fan magazine, and the reader becomes frustrated and bored with tedious accounts of recording sessions and after-concert parties. Kennedy's many admirers will gobble up this book, but there simply isn't enough substance here to retain the interest of most readers. One can learn much more about Kennedy by listening to any one of his CDs.
- Larry Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, Pa.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.