Maestros and Their Music

The Art and Alchemy of Conducting

By: John Mauceri

Narrated by: John Mauceri

An exuberant, uniquely accessible look inside the enigmatic art and craft of conducting, from a celebrated conductor whose international career has spanned half a century.

John Mauceri brings a lifetime of experience to bear in an unprecedented, hugely informative, consistently entertaining exploration of his profession, rich with anecdotes from decades of working alongside the greatest names of the music world. With candor and humor, Mauceri makes clear that conducting is itself a composition: of legacy and tradition, techniques handed down from master to apprentice - and more than a trace of ineffable magic.

He reveals how conductors approach a piece of music (a calculated combination of personal interpretation, imagination, and insight into the composer's intent); what it takes to communicate solely through gesture, with sometimes hundreds of performers at once; and the occasionally glamorous, often challenging life of the itinerant maestro. Mauceri, who worked closely with Leonard Bernstein for 18 years, studied with Leopold Stokowski, and was on the faculty of Yale University for 15 years, is the perfect guide to the allure and theater, passion and drudgery, rivalries and relationships of the conducting life.

©2017 John Mauceri (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Informative and entertaining…[Mauceri] has an insider’s grasp of the vagaries of the music business... [Maestros and Their Music] will appeal to both musicians and others seeking a broad base of information about conducting and conductors.” (Library Journal)

"You think conducting is a matter of a maestro merely knowing the score? Let John Mauceri open your eyes and ears to the mysterious, solitary, itinerant world of the conductor and have all preconceptions blown away. Mauceri rips the smoke and mirrors off his profession with wicked and gleeful lucidity, filling us in on its history and answering questions you didn't even know to ask. This irresistible and unique book is guaranteed to send you to the concert hall and your CDs with newly educated ears - and heart." (John Guare, playwright)

"Frank and informative about many aspects of the job of maestro...few authors have expressed so vividly the huge role of the score itself in a maestro’s daily work, or the non-glamorous status of the guest conductor.” (Opera News)

So many behind the scene things I didn't know

As a life-long fan of classical music and opera, I was surprised to learn how much goes on behind the scene in the lives of conductors and performers. It's hard work! I enjoyed the stories and analysis about many conductors I know, particularly Bernstein, who I saw for the first time at age 10 at a NY Phil Young People's Concert. Mauceri narrates his book with a clear voice and perfect andante moderato pace.

Insightful stories of world renowned conductors

This should be part of every musicians education about the history of conducting and how many world renowned conductors have developed the art of conducting. It is a fascinating memoir that John Mauceri has so graciously shared with us in this fascinating book. It will forever change my perspective of every performance I see or hear.

I loved it. What is conducting all about.

I think this book will appeal to muso's or people who wonder what a conductor actually does. It is not technical but it is a behind-the-scenes view of a conductor's role and what it probably takes to be a good conductor. John Mauceri writes it and performs it very well. It makes me want to study the score of my favourite pieces more closely and I will now be listening for differences in the performance of orchestral works with fresh insight.

Loved it

If you are a fan of classical music, this book is a MUST!!! I enjoyed every word of it.

Maestro Gives A Fascinating Performance

Maestros and…. Is my favorite book of the year thus far and will be an all time favorite. Maestro Mauceri answered so many questions I’ve had as a novice novice music student and long time classical music lover. His chapters go far beyond those questions into fascinating details.

Maestro Mauceri’s narration is beautiful. It’s like having a personal conversation or class with him. His stories of composers (of my generation, Bernstein especially, a favorite) gave me many insights into the complexity of conducting. This one’s a real treasure. Get it! Worth double credits.

Disappointing. Dry.

I felt like I was at a dinner party listening to the author talk about random things in the conducting and music world. He didn’t go into enough depth or detail about specific things - just snippets about this and that. It was hard to stay interested. He should have coauthored with a writer or journalist to make it more engaging.

For example he mentioned the conductor Muti a couple times, but he didn’t say anything meaningful about Muti. Was Muti good or not good, and why? Tell me something interesting about Muti. And the same with other conductors, give me some opinions.

The author briefly mentioned that Petrillo in Chicago was a key figure behind unionizing musicians. Petrillo claimed recorded music took jobs away from musicians. Petrillo was also against something about small musician groups. I was confused. I wanted to know more about Petrillo - how were things before and after him, but it was just sort of mentioned in passing.

Slightly annoying was the way the author frequently said “I was asked to conduct ...” It felt egotistical. I would have preferred hearing him say “I conducted ...”

ONE THING I REALLY LIKED AND I LEARNED SOMETHING:
I was interested in the following comment about Maria Callas. The author was giving his opinion and judgment. I wish he did more of that on other subjects.

“Anyone who attended the farewell performances of Maria Callas in recital with tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano will know precisely what I mean. By 1974 Callas was barely Callas - her voice having shrunk in size, her vibrato having curdled into a wobble in its upper register, and her sound clouded and covered. But every now and then something happened, a fiery flash in her eyes, a gesture of vulnerability, a perfectly turned phrase, and memories were awakened of when she was great and members of the audience were young. Respect, sadness, mortality, curiosity and a desire to stop inevitability, fueled the public’s emotions during the performances and buoyed them and Callas through each evening. It occasionally felt as if the audience were giving her the strength to carry on, and probably it did.”

AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
The author narrated his own book. He was good as a narrator.

DATA:
Book copyright: 2017. Genre: nonfiction, memoir.