George Szell's Reign: Behind the Scenes with the Cleveland Orchestra (Music in American Life)

Kraus, Marcia Hansen

ISBN 10: 0252041313 / ISBN 13: 9780252041310

Published by University of Illinois Press, 2017

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: George Szell's Reign: Behind the Scenes with the Cleveland Orchestra (Music in American Life)
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press
• Publication Date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0252041313
• ISBN 13: 9780252041310
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

George Szell was the Cleveland Orchestra's towering presence for over a quarter of a century. From the boardroom to the stage, Szell's powerful personality affected every aspect of a musical institution he reshaped in his own perfectionist image. Marcia Hansen Kraus's participation in Cleveland's classical musical scene allowed her an intimate view of Szell and his achievements. As a musician herself, and married to an oboist who worked under Szell, Kraus pulls back the curtain on this storied era through fascinating interviews with orchestra musicians and patrons. Their recollections combine with Kraus's own to paint a portrait of a multifaceted individual who both earned and transcended his tyrannical reputation. If some musicians hated Szell, others loved him or at the least respected his fair-minded toughness. A great many remember playing under his difficult leadership as the high point in their lives. Filled with vivid backstage stories, George Szell's Reign reveals the human side of a great orchestra ”and how one visionary built a premier classical music institution.

About the Author

Marcia Hansen Kraus is a musician and composer in Cleveland, Ohio.