Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None » (1ST)

They are, simply, the best at what they do.

The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the three greatest in the world--by the near-unanimous acclaim of audiences, critics, and musicians around the globe. This is the story of how they achieved such extraordinary success— and have managed to stay at the very top now for almost four decades.

Music critic Donald Rosenberg tells this large, sweeping story in very human terms, with a feel for its true drama and an eye for its telling details. This is the first about the Cleveland Orchestra in 30 years. Essential reading for Cleveland Orchestra fans; an important subject for local history buffs and civic boosters; and a one-of-a-kind resource for serious symphony buffs worldwide.

Library Journal

This is much more than a history of one of the finest U.S. orchestras from its 1918 birth to the January 2000 reopening of its home, Severance Hall. Rosenberg, classical music critic at the Plain Dealer (Cleveland) and vice president of the Music Critics Association of North America, has written a fascinating account of music, musicians, politics, unbridled egos, and business that engages the reader like a good mystery novel. The chronological narrative centers on the careers and personalities of the orchestra's colorful conductors--Nikolai Sokoloff, Artur Rodzinski, Erich Leinsdorf, Lorin Maazel, Ernst Dohn nyi, and especially George Szell--and pulls no punches about their foibles as well as their genius. Thoroughly researched, well documented, and very well written, this work is an excellent extension of Robert C. Marsh's The Cleveland Orchestra (LJ 2/1/68). Highly recommended for public and academic libraries. [The Cleveland Orchestra inaugurated Carnegie Hall's 2000 season on October 13.--Ed.]--Timothy J. McGee, Univ. of Toronto Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.