This Was Toscanini: The Maestro, My Father, and Me Hardcover – August 16, 2021

I love classical music and their rock star conductors from the early days of radio. And of all those maestros none compare to the best of them all - Arturo Toscanini. There are three notable protagonists in this book. Joining the great one is his devoted first violinist and concert master Samuel Antek, and Antek's equally devoted daughter the author. Through her father's journal and her memories she recalls Toscanini's unstinting effort to maximize his craft, his compositional genius, and his humanity decrying fascism and its attack on artistic and religious freedom.

I loved this book! I knew a little about the legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini, including his creation in 1937 of the NBC Symphony Orchestra, which broadcast hundreds of radio performances and recordings as well as ground-breaking telecasts. What really drew me the book was the subtitle: "The Maestro, My Father, and Me," which suggested something more personal than a biography. That it is -- an expanded version of the out-of-print musical memoir of that orchestra's young first violinist, Samuel Antek, beautifully annotated and enriched many years later by his daughter Lucy Johnson Antek's own memories. What was it like for a young musician to play under the baton of Toscanini? What was it like for the musician's own daughter? Reading THIS WAS TOSCANINI immersed me in their world. The gorgeous photographs are a huge bonus!

Arturo Toscanini’s life, personality and passion is captured beautifully in this emotional, dramatic retelling of a man and his music. Known world wide as one of the greatest conductors of our time, this intimate story brings you behind the scenes and into his world through the eyes and memories of his first violinist turned conductor, Samuel Antek and his daughter, Lucy Johnson. Brilliantly written, lovingly told, and historically engaging. A fabulous read that transports you to another time and place.

I hated for this book to end. I became so involved with the lives and passions of both Toscanini and Samuel Antek, a great musician in his own right...it was almost as if I were sitting in on the rehearsals and performances being chronicled. And Lucy Antek Johnson's introductory chapters (Samuel's daughter) allowed me to have an insight into her father's life offstage as well as on. Her writing expertly led into that of her father's in the actual book he wrote so many years ago.What surprised me most was Samuel's prodigious writing skills. Had he chosen to concentrate his life's work on the written page instead of the musical score he would certainly have risen to the same glorious heights in that field.Do yourself a favor and read this book. It will be a great gift to yourself.

Toscanini was one of the greats. We often don't get to see behind the curtain, to hear of a legend subjectively by this who knew him. We simply know them by their greatness. I was delighted to read about this glad man and his genius, to understand this man was not just a perfectionist, but music itself.

This book is hard to review. Either this book is right for you or it’s not. I’ll put my review right in the middle to acknowledge that different readers will have strong opinions on either side of the spectrum.Consider the following question:Should a musician interpret the score based on the composer’s intention or focus more about its context in the present?If you’re figuring out how you would answer the question and/or know at least one person with whom you would discuss it, then this book is for you. If you’re not interested in thinking or talking about music at this level, then this book would not hold your interest. I’m married to an opera singer, so I’ve been included in countless discussions. They’re not for the faint of heart.This book is for people who are interested in what happens before orchestra performances. It includes detailed practice session notes. In the touring chapter, there is minimal narrative about the performances, focusing instead on the interactions before they were on stage.The NBC orchestra was created for Toscanini to perform radio concerts. The earlier version was written by Samuel Antek, a violinist in Toscanini’s NBC orchestra who shared what it was like to work with the gifted conductor. Sadly, Antek died of a heart attack before the original edition of this book was published. Antek’s brilliant work showed the side of an orchestra not seen by a concert audience.The edition has been expanded by Samuel Antek’s daughter Lucy to include more information from her parents’ papers and show the impact that Toscanini had on her family’s life. She found a treasure trove of previously unpublished material from both parents. Her mother’s travel journals provided a vivid picture of the orchestra’s touring life and different view of their maestro.Ultimately, the book is a study of love and relationships. It starts with a love of music and then delves deeper into the relationships of a conductor to his orchestra and the performers and their audiences. It provides a fascinating view behind the scenes on how beautiful music is made. It’s shown at a deeper level than some classical music lovers may want to explore. But if you like knowing what experience brought the conductor and his orchestra, this book is for you.Thank you, Meryl Moss Media Group, for providing me a copy of this book.

Veel anecdotes, weinig diepgang.