Classical & Opera Biographies

In this, the fifth biography in the Extraordinary Lives series, Beethoven expert Professor Barry Cooper provides a fascinating and compact summary of the key moments in Beethoven's life. In

Believe Your Ears is the memoir of composer Kirke Mechem, whose unorthodox path to music provides a fascinating narrative. Along the way, readers will meet Dimitri Shostakovich, Wallace Stegner, Billie Jean

In this book, the first biography ever of this remarkable figure, Blickstein and Benko explore the private and public lives of this master pianist, surveying his achievements within the context of

In this book, Teresa Davidian welcomes readers into the infectious appeal of Debussy's major works to consider how they can still attract and move audiences. In such works as the hauntingly beautiful Clair

This book combines interviews with Opperman's former students with personal essays and reflections from those closest to the master teacher and performer. Gainey explores Opperman's life, pedagogy, and

Leading Tones is a glimpse into several aspects of the musical world by Leonard Slatkin, music director and conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. There are portions devoted to the Slatkin's

Leonard Bernstein touched millions of lives as composer, conductor, teacher and activist. He frequently visited homes around the world through the medium of television, particularly through the 53

An intimate biography of a complex, controversial, and now neglected composer, The Life and Songs of Stephen Foster is an important story about the father of American music. This invaluable portrait of the

In print with the original text for the first time in decades, here is the intriguing autobiography Sousa wrote in the final years of his life. Contained within are amusing and insightful reflections of the

Truly great compositions spring, like Athena from Zeus' skull, at the juncture of genius and passion. In Mathilde Wesendonck: Isolde's Dream, author Judith Cabaud calls on a host of heretofore undiscovered

Rimsky-Korsakov: Letters to His Family and Friends is a rare, revealing look at the composer, written by his granddaughter Tatiana. Featuring a wealth of correspondence and photographs from his family's

A complete biography of Stanley Drucker's musical career written by Mitchell Estrin. Recognized by the Guinness World Records for the longest career as a clarinetist, Drucker retired from the New York