CURRENT CONVICTIONS: VIEWS AND REVIEWS - Rare Fine Copy of The First Hardcover Edition/First Printing: Signed, Placed, And Dated by Robert Craft - ONLY SUCH SIGNED COPY ONLINE

1st Printing. Signed. 340 pages. Published in 1977. Retrospective collection of essays. One of the most important essay collections on music, literature, and the performing arts of the 20th century. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. There is no ISBN. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents Robert Craft's "Current Convictions: Views And Reviews". All in all, still his best collection. Previously published in various publications in slightly or significantly different versions. The essays appear in their final, definitive form in this book. Best-known as Igor Stravinsky's lifelong (and fanatically loyal) friend, colleague, interpreter/conductor, and amanuensis, Robert Craft is also a music and literary critic of the first rank. This collection demonstrates that fact, and covers the stunning breadth of interests of Robert Craft, Renaissance Man, that is to say, the vanishing embodiment of civilized learning and wisdom, now missing in impoverished contemporary culture. An absolute "must-have" title for Robert Craft collectors. This copy is very prominently, neatly, and beautifully signed, placed, and dated in black ink-pen on the front free endpaper by the author: "Robert Craft New York May 1984". It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. This title is a great collection. As far as we know, this is the only such signed, placed, and dated copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing available online and despite its imperfection (a ding on top front board corner, but it's there) is still in fine condition: The DJ and every single internal page are clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Craft did NOT do a single public signing during his long and high-profile career as a public intellectual and music authority. A rare signed copy thus. One of the most brilliant critics of the 20th century. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER ROBERT CRAFT AND IGOR STRAVINSKY TITLES IN OUR CATALOG).…