Michael Tilson Thomas: Viva Voce

A delightful book comprised of conversations between the author, music journalist, Edward Seckerson and internationally renouned musician, Michael Tilson Thomas. It ranges from lucid essays on championed works by Russian, European and American composers including Tchiakovsky, Mahler and Charles Ives, to wonderfully vivid accounts of his exotically crowded childhood and early associations, for instance, with musicians like Bernstein, Stravinsky and Copland. Not least the book offers fascinating insights into the art of conducting, from baton technique to orchestral tact, and bringing the classical and contemporary repertoir to a wider audience.