A Life in Music :: Education by Design Store

Editorial Review
A LIFE IN MUSIC reviews five decades of the rich and uniquely varied musical life of Daniel Barenboim. A child prodigy as a pianist and a virtuoso conductor of symphonies and opera, he has known and worked with many of the most distinguished and exciting musicians of the 20th century, including Rubinstein, Klemperer, Furtwangler, Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez, Fischer-Dieskau, Pablo Casals and not least his own wife Jacqueline du Pré, among many others. `He still insists on undertaking grand projects that only a madman or genius would contemplate', The Times noted in August 2001, and recent years have included his work at the annual Wagner Festival in Bayreuth; his involvement with the rebirth of the State Opera House in Berlin; taking over from George Solti's 22-year reign in Chicago; his summer festivals at Weimar in Germany where young Arab and Israelis can play music together; and his worldwide travels. He gives us his trenchant thoughts on Israel today, the problems facing young musicians and the changing world of music at the beginning of the 21st century.
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Customer Reviews

Valuable insights into music making by the master pianist and conductor

2008-03-03
Daniel Barenboim has been in the front row of the best musicians of the last quarter of the XX century and the beginning of the XXI. This book not only reflect his 'memoires' as a child prodigy, but his parallel upbringing as a pianist and conductor.

But the most interesting parts in this book are the analysis of music by Baremboim. His personal view of the meaning of music and music making make this a delightful document for anyone interested in classical music. This includes his views on harmony, tempo, orchestra balance, expression and many other topics.

Another aspect that I found captivating in this book were the anecdotes and stories of another musicians. The view of Barenboim about other conductors and his reflections on the sound and characteristics of different orchestras is invaluable to any music lover.

And in this document we have also the view of this conductor in the process of setting up operas in different houses, and with different stage directors and singers, which are a bonus to opera lovers, like me.

Finally we have in this book some of Barenboim's concerns about the future of Arab - Israeli relationships and his personal quest to bring some mutual understanding to these peoples. This efforts, which gave life to de West East Divan Orchestra, and earned Barenboim and his friend, the late American - Palestinian author Edward Said, the Prince of Asturias Award for Peace Efforts (Concordia) in 2002.

A Life in Music

2007-08-30
Very interesting, thought-provoking. Special interest to anyone who plays piano. Of great interest to anyone who loves classical music.

A brilliant and brave musician and thinker

2006-08-13
Barenboim embodies a rare combintion of qualities: an absolutely first-rate musical talent, a thinking mind, and courage in following his conscience. He deeply understands and has an instinctive feel for music but is also aware that music does not exist in a vacuum--it is part of human society and history. I know of no other classical musician who combines the rare qualities Barenboim possesses. I greatly admire his courage in taking unpopular stands. Like his friend Edward Said he is an artist and a lover of music who is not afraid to speak out against injustice.

Great memoirs by a wonderful artist and a true humanist

2006-03-05
Daniel Barenboim's public position on the israeli-palestinian conflict made him the victim of repeated attacks from the israeli right wing, best exemplified by the previous reviewer. Barenboim's memoirs reflect both the sensitivity of a great artist and the honest political commitment of a true humanist. The accusations against a moderate like Barenboim are a sad reflection of these troubled times.

Had he only stuck to music

2005-09-06
The story of a child prodigy who realized his early musical promise and became one of the outstanding conductors living today is an inspiring success story. However at some point in his life Barenboim ceased to be simply a marvelous musician and began to become a political progagandist.
Moreover his stature as moral human being is questionable.
For his life is filled with incidents in which he shows a tremendous insensitivity to the feelings of others. Without delving into the private instances of this it is possible to cite his public behavior.
He in Israel insulted survivors of the Holocaust by playing against their will the music which was the signature sound of the Nazis, the music of the violently anti- semitic Wagner. Barenboim too has made violent and racist remarks against Israel
even going so far as to speak in defense of Palestinian terrorists.
No doubt a brilliant musician but a person full of himself, arrogant and egoistic.
Barenboim's book like his life should be skimmed with concentration being placed on the musical parts only.