In this natural companion volume to his book The Great Pianists, Mr. Schonberg, music critic to The New York Times, examines in detail the lives and careers of the world's great conductors, hearing an interpretation, and understanding how it is accomplished. From the time-beater of the thirteenth century, through Beethoven's first concert, at the age of ten, to Toscanini and Bernstein, Schonberg has created not only a fascinating picture of individual conductors and the development of their work, but also an incisive addition to the history of musical tastes and values.
