The Letters of Arturo Toscanini

Book Description

A major event in the literature of music—the first significant collection of the letters of Arturo Toscanini.

Toscanini (1867–1957) was one of the most celebrated and influential symphonic and operatic conductors in history. With his amazing ear and photographic memory, his sense of moral imperative and iron will, he raised the standards of orchestras and opera companies to previously undreamed-of heights. He conducted the world premieres of Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Puccini’s La bohème, The Girl of the Golden West, and Turandot. His sixty-eight-year conducting career began before Verdi had completed Otello and lasted into the era of televised concerts and stereophonic sound. He headed such ensembles as La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and the NBC Symphony Orchestra.

Yet he never wrote a memoir, or even essays for publication, or granted interviews. Now we are brought closer to him than we have ever been—in seven hundred letters, well over ninety percent of them previously unpublished in any language.

The letters are vivid and impassioned. They reveal a complicated man, often angry and unhappy, who was also capable of great generosity of spirit, self-irony, and humor. They show the depth of his musical knowledge and insight, and shed much light on the musical life of his time in Europe, in New York, and throughout the world. There is fascinating correspondence with his wife and children, and with colleagues and friends, and he writes, as well, about his affairs and erotic adventures. He expresses particular vehemence when talking about his active opposition to fascism and Nazism. Of Mussolini, for instance, he says: “Open all the prisons—you won’t find a delinquent or a criminal who is more of a delinquent, more of a criminal, than that ignoble animal!”

The Letters of Arturo Toscanini is a revelation of both the maestro and the man.

With 7 photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining and informative.......2003-08-29

Sachs' editorial comments provide fascinating insights into the world of opera and Toscanini's role in it. Beyond the minutiae of the Maestro's life and passions, however, this book provides an intriguing perspective of world events during the first half of the 20th century.

Great Man -- Great Book.......2003-03-13

This is an obsessively edited great book about, and by, an obsessively great man and great conductor. Of greatest interest to those also obsessed by Arturo Toscanini, but of great interest to anyone who wants to enter the mind of the greatest conductor of the 20th century. That's a lot of "greats", but they're well-deserved. Toscanini writes with passion, grace, lyricism, eroticism, and political insight. Mr. Sachs, the brilliant Toscanini biographer, has edited this book in a way that makes it an autobiography. Buy it!

Most readable and absorbing.......2003-01-30

I loved this book. Toscanini's writing style is so direct and passionate. His love of music and his worship of its icons permeates the book and his ever-present desire to do them justice (even at the expense of dealing with musicians not meeting his exacting standards) make this a fun read. As a musician I can relate to the exhaustion of rehearsals and the exaltation he felt after a great concert and in the midst of musicians in which he had respect.
The hundreds of letters to his mistress are amazing, written in the most ardent and intimate manner. (One feels that one knows her, too, from osmosis). They are speckled also with his reflections on aging and their age disparity, of his concertizing, of his passionless marriage, of his disappointment/disgust with emerging regimes of his time. I found even the most mundane details of his everyday life are somehow also interesting.
The commentary from the author is nicely formatted so that it is easy to skip over details which have no familiarity to the lay reader.

Humanizing and scary.......2002-06-11

What will floor a Toscanini fan here is the revelation that the old man's emotional life was much more intense than anybody realized. The majority of the book is taken up with love-letters to one woman, although this affair only went on for 10 years or less; the outpouring of adoration, obsession, and eventual anger is stunning. There are certain performances of his about which we've customarily said, hmm, this one is relatively expressive--it turns out Toscanini confesses to his true love that while he conducted Tchaikovsky's 6th tonight, he was thinking only of her, and wept at such-and-such a passage, and even kissed the locket with her picture during the performance...so much for "literal" music-making! Although some letters are not always interesting (in the sense that his culture was not all that broad--this is not a book from which you'll learn a lot about arts & letters, performance practice, or even about music in general), and some letters will definitely make some people squeamish, they present a quite different picture of the conductor as primarily passionate, rather than primarily angry. You come away from the book, as you do from his best performances, amazed at his honesty and phenomenal intensity.

Perhaps the hype was too great.......2002-05-12

I was prepared for true revelations which didn't come through in the letters, found precious little I didn't already know.

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The Letters of Arturo Toscanini
Editor-Harvey Sachs
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MC1CBW

THE LETTERS OF ARTURO TOSCANINI. Edited & translated by Harvey Sachs.

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THE LETTERS OF ARTURO TOSCANINI. Edited & translated by Harvey Sachs.
Arturo. Toscanini
Manufacturer: Univ. of Chicago Press,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N7KPUK

The Letters of Arturo Toscanini. (Book Reviews: Diverse Topics).(Book Review): An article from: Notes

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The Letters of Arturo Toscanini. (Book Reviews: Diverse Topics).(Book Review): An article from: Notes
Christopher Hatch
Manufacturer: Music Library Association, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on March 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1165 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Letters of Arturo Toscanini. (Book Reviews: Diverse Topics).(Book Review)
Author: Christopher Hatch
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2003
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: 59 Issue: 3 Page: 651(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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The Letters of Arturo Toscanini
Sachs Harvey
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UEWFZ4

Amazon.com

Golem is the Hebrew word for shapeless man. According to Jewish legend, the renowned scholar and teacher Rabbi Loew used his powers to create a Golem from clay in order to protect his people from persecution in the ghettos of 16th-century Prague. (This was the time of the Blood Lie, when hostile gentiles claimed that Jews were mixing the blood of Christian children with the flour and water of matzo.) David Wisniewski's cut-paper collage illustrations--which earned him the Caldecott Medal in 1997--are the ideal medium for portraying the stark black-and-white forces of good and evil, pride and prejudice, as well as the gray area that emerges when the tormented clay giant loses control of his anger. Echoing the tension and mood of Frankenstein, Wisniewski sends the tragic giant back to the blood red earth that birthed him. The historical note on the last page offers a broader context for the legend, ultimately comparing the creation of Golem to the emergence of Israel. (Ages 8 and older) --Gail Hudson

Book Description

Retold from traditional sources and accompanied by David Wisniewski's unique cut-paper illustrations, Golem is a dramatic tale of supernatural forces invoked to save an oppressed people. It also offers a thought-provoking look at the consequences of unleashing power beyond human control. The afterword discusses the legend of the golem and its roots in the history of the Jews. A Caldecott Medal Book.

Customer Reviews:

Sanitized.......2007-03-31

The author has sanitized and de-Judaized the legend. For example, he has changed the original inscription on the golem's forehead, a mystical Name of God that actually infuses life into the image, to "emet," which means truth. A nice enough word, but hardly sufficient to breathe life into clay. The result is an OK children's story, but without the richness and meaning of the legend. Read I.B. Singer's version instead.

a little intense for the younger ones - a poingant and moving story.......2007-01-02

The tale of the Golem of Prague was told me by my Bohemian grandmother when I was a little boy, so I was pleased to find Wisniewski's book. The cut-paper art is magnificent, giving an almost 3-D perspective to it. However, the story itself is a bit intense for those under 5.

The golem, for those not familar with the story, was a man made of clay to protect the Jews of Prague from anti-Semites. Eventually it grew out of control, and had to be destroyed. It therefore deals with some pretty adult themes: intolerance, violence, death.

The deeper meanings of the story: that it is far better to be tolerant of others, that violence is not a good way to resolve disputes, and that we (like the Golem) will one day return to dust will probably be over the heads of the very young; the book does provide an opportunity to discuss these themes with older children, however.

It is a beautiful book, and the story is a good one - give its themes consideration before purchasing.

Poignant.......2005-12-20

This is one of my favorite books. Exquisite. Although intended as a "children's" book--the stunning artwork is geared toward youth--the deceptively simple story is probably better appreciated by adults. This is the inspiration behind all the Frankenstein, android, robot, purpose of life tales. What does it mean to be "alive?" How do we reconcile a belief in god with mortality? Because of this the story can be disturbing, for the moral seems to be that we are but instruments whose life may be ended by the creator when our purpose is finished. The golem, purpose be damned, stops to watch a sunrise.

In a sense then, the golem story embodies one of the most troubling questions of humanity: why would the beauty of life, once gifted to us, be taken away? As the golem pleads to Rabbi Loew, "life is so precious to me."

The book is not long, but the pages are large and quality prints, allowing one to appreciate the detail of Wisniewski's cut-outs. The Caldecott was well deserved. There is also a short historical overview at the end the explains the context in which the legends emerged as well providing some recommended reading and drawing an interesting connection between the modern state of Israel and the golem.

Sad and Somber.......2005-12-07

Golem is a unique retelling of an old myth in Prague. In the year 1580 many people in Prague believed that the Jews were doing terrible things...like drinking the blood of missing children. Locked away and left defenseless, one great Jewish leader named Rabbi Loew used his vast knowledge of the Cabala to create a giant. This giant, named Golem, was created for one purpose only...to protect the Jews from harm. Once the Jews are no longer threatened Golem will become the lump of clay he was to begin with.
Golem proves himself to be a very able defender...but there is one big problem. Golem is growing even bigger and becoming harder to control. The emperor of Prague finally promises safety to the Jews, but only if Golem is destroyed. Golem, however, doesn't want to die. He enjoys flowers and sunrises and passionately begs his "father" not to destroy him. The pictures in this book are very powerful and profound. The dramatic illustrations that this book displays add to the intensity of the story.

A clay man in Prague.......2004-08-10

People learn about the myth of the Golem in a variety of different ways. Sometimes they learn about it through literature (I credit, "The Adventures of Cavalier and Clay"), through song and story, or through children's books. David Wisniewski was not the first author/illustrator to create a picture book out of the myth of the man of clay. He was only the best.

In this tale, four hundred years ago the Jews of Prague were sorely oppressed. They had been oppressed in the past, it's true, but new evil rumors were being passed on about them. People were telling the "Blood Lie", which claimed that Jews were guilty of mixing the blood of Christian children with the flour and water of matzoh. Amongst these Jews lived the chief rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel. One night, in a dream, Loew was commanded by God to create a Golem. Obeying the command, Loew built a man out of clay and gave it life. The Golem, unofficially named Joseph, was sent to discover the men spreading the Blood Lie about the Jews and bring them to justice. When the Golem was successful at this endeavor an angry mob of enemies of the Jews set upon the ghetto to wreak massive destruction. Instead, the Golem protected the Jews and the emperor of Prague vowed never to let such a thing happen again. With that, the Golem's life was taken (much to his chagrin) only to be called back again if the Jews ever found themselves in trouble once more.

David Wisniewski provides and lengthy and incredibly in depth note at the end of this tale outlining the history of the legend as well as the history of the Jews themselves. You cannot help but be impressed by the depth and intensity of Wisniewski's research. As a writer he deftly tells the Golem's tale, even mentioning how the creature grew to love life. It is a truly sad moment indeed when Rabbi Loew chooses to dissolve his creature once the Jews are finally safe. The Golem's pleas for life go unheeded, and the Rabbi even goes so far as to inform his poor servant that when he is dead he will not remember anything of life since he is merely clay. It's a harsh moment for a picture book, but I greatly appreciate Wisniewski's decision to tell the story without Disneyesque changes. But a tale can only go so far on its own. As the 1997 Caldecott award winner, "Golem" had to be as visually interesting as it was well told. The fact of the matter is that the artistic quality of this story is breathtaking. The cut paper illustrations used in this story are beyond anything I've seen in a long time. From the tiniest cracks found in the earth to the crackles of lightning that fills the Golem's coarse clay and bring him to life, Wisniewski is a detailed and magnificent artist. I can say with little doubt that this book is perhaps the most beautiful cut paper tale ever produced for children.

I don't know enough about the original Golem tale to tell you whether or not Wisniewski is accurate in his interpretation. All I can say is that this book deserves to be read. We do not usually find such thoughtful beauty in our picture books. When we do we should catch ahold of them and love them dearly. Be sure to catch yourself a copy of "Golem". You will be impressed.

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Loved this book as a child...still love it

The Golem: A Jewish Legend
Beverly Brodsky McDermott
Manufacturer: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Golem (Caldecott Medal Book)

ASIN: 0397316747

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Loved this book as a child...still love it.......2006-11-02

I was raised in a fairly devout Jewish household. When I was in elementary school, I would constantly peruse my synagogue's library. In it, I found this remarkable, vivid, haunting version of the ancient Jewish legend of The Golem. I never forgot Brodsky's intense imagery and the simple power of the words of Isaac Bashevis Singer. Even today, at 23 years old, I still return to the library asking for the same book, hoping to recapture the awe and fascination of this exciting tale. I hope, and I'm sure, that forthcoming generations will cherish this book as much as I did and still do.

The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague

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Clasic of Jewish Folklore
A Very Uplifting Experience
the protector of truth (emet)

The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague
Yudl Rosenberg
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300122047

Book Description

This collection of interrelated stories about a sixteenth-century Prague rabbi and the golem he created became an immediate bestseller upon its publication in 1909. So widely popular and influential was Yudl Rosenberg’s book, it is no exaggeration to claim that the author transformed the centuries-old understanding of the creature of clay and single-handedly created the myth of the golem as protector of the Jewish people during times of persecution.

In addition to translating Rosenberg’s classic golem story into English for the first time, Curt Leviant also offers an introduction in which he sets Rosenberg’s writing in historical context and discusses the golem legend before and after Rosenberg’s contributions. Generous annotations are provided for the curious reader.
The book is full of adventures, surprises, romance, suspense, mysticism, Jewish pride, and storytelling at its best. The Chief Rabbi of Prague, known as the Maharal, brings the golem Yossele to life to help the Jews fight false accusations of ritual murder—the infamous blood libel. More human, more capable, and more reliable as a protector than any golem imagined before, Rosenberg’s Golem irrevocably changed one of the most widely influential icons of Jewish folklore.

Customer Reviews:

Clasic of Jewish Folklore.......2007-09-09

This is a translation from the original manuscript written by Yudl Rosenberg in 1909.
It was a response to the terrible blood libels which had gained credence in the 1890s and was leading to greater attacks on Jews. Rosenberg relies on age-old Hassidic hagiography and folklore to create this folk tale of Rabbi Liva and his creation through kabbalah of the Golem, a manlike creature made from dust and ashes, that Rabbi Liva uses to perform great miracles and to save the innocent and punish the evil.
He uses the Golem to frustrate the evil designs of the spiteful and malicious anti-Semite Father Tadeus. A young Jewish girl is kidnapped and forcibly converted to Christianity before being rescued by the Golem, and forgeries of the blood libel are disproved through the Golem's deeds and the evildoers aiming to frame the Jews unmasked.
The tragedy of a brother (who was swapped at birth) and sister marrying each other, is averted, amidst much supernatural and metaphysical phenomena.
This is a tale of Jewish folklore, fantasy and kabbalah and is both glorious and intriguing.
It is also a commentary, on the fate of the Jews through the ages.

A Very Uplifting Experience.......2007-06-12

I would consider the Golem of Prague to be an extremely uplifting book. While the device of using "magic" in a plot has its downsides, for example, not being realistic, it opens up a whole new realm of creativity to solve a problem. How many times even when one is a child, one wishes one could solve a problem if they had a strong all-powerful friend. This doesn't mean having a genie to satisfy greed, but to obtain justice. Obtaining justice in an often unjust world is a very poignant problem, not only because many of the descendants of people talked about in these books died in the Nazi Holocaust.
More to the point, injustice occurs both in our lives and around us. The Golem was a literary device to solve these injustices to the Jews in the matter of the infamous Blood Libel. The Golem indeed had much more human characteristics than ever before. This book is well worth a read as a distinguished piece of world literature. Also recommended is the translators preface by Curt Leviant.

the protector of truth (emet).......2007-05-29

"The Golem and the Wonderous Deeds...."has been translated for the first time into English directly from the Hebrew. It is simply a wonderful book all around. It has wonderful, concise introduction about the golem and tracks it through literary and biblical history. The book reads smoothly and has a very Sherlock Holmes' feel to it as the Maharal has to clear the Jews of Prague from the constant false accusations of killing gentiles for their blood to mix into the matzhos for Passover. The characters are 3-dimensional for a collection of folk tales and the author creates a balance of portraying the Jews and gentiles in the text. Not all the gentiles are bad, as one would expect. It would be easy for the Jews here to become bitter because of their constant persecution, but there is fairness with the police, judges, etc...The Jews here seek truth, justice and peace. The Golem portrayed here is different than the Golem that appears previously in literature and the bible. It is the Golem we've come to know, but as the translator/editor has said, it is this Golem of only the last 100 years that sticks in our heads, though we think it's longer.

So in conclusion,this book reads in an enjoyable, measured fashion. It is also wonderful that it has been brought back to life for the Non-Hebrew & Yiddish reading audience who can now enjoy it as it was originally written by Rosenberg.

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Timothy Tolliver and the Bully Basher
Aaron Shepard
Manufacturer: Skyhook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0938497243

Book Description

Timothy Tolliver and his friend Arnie Rosenberg have a problem -- a gang of older bullies called the Stinks. But besides being a fourth-grader, Timothy is also a world-class inventor. He and Arnie get the bright idea of defending themselves with Timothy's science-project robot. When their first try fails, Timothy finds a way to update the mystical formulae that gave life to the Jewish clay monster, the Golem. The robot comes alive, and it looks like their worries are over -- till the robot stops following orders and takes matters into its own hands. Can Timothy bring his creation back under control? Find out, as the Golem legend replays in a modern American elementary school.

Golems Among Us: How a Jewish Legend Can Help Us Navigate the Biotech Century

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A must for theologians, medical ethicists, sci-fi fans, and anyone who likes a good debate.

Golems Among Us: How a Jewish Legend Can Help Us Navigate the Biotech Century
Byron L. Sherwin
Manufacturer: Ivan R. Dee, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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More Than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement

ASIN: 1566635683

Book Description

Mr. Sherwin briefly traces the fascinating history of the golem legend in Western culture, then shows what lessons it holds for us in navigating a safe journey-philosophically, theologically, ethically, and in public policy-through the minefield of twenty-first-century social and biological engineering in which we now stand. A fascinating journey....Sherwin's compassion, humor, and intellect provide a moral compass to help us navigate through astonishing, promising, and sometimes perilous developments in biotechnology. --Lori Andrews

Customer Reviews:

A must for theologians, medical ethicists, sci-fi fans, and anyone who likes a good debate........2007-01-15

Sherwin dedicates the first four chapters to retelling the legends of the Golem, namely his fond memories of his Polish grandmother's stories. Chapter five is his transition and by chapter six he is debating genetically engineered v. organic foods. He then progresses to the issues of cloning, robotics, and out of control corporations.

The most famous Golem legend is that of Rabbi Judah Loew of 16th century Prague. He was a Kabbalahist, a mystic, who created a Golem by reciting a secret incantation using the tetragrammation of G-d's name. (Sherwin points out that DNA sequences are also tetragrammations and legend has it that G-d brought the universe into existence with divine utterances.) The Golem is a humanoid creature, usually fashioned out of clay. The Golem is usually mute, has no soul, and is slated for destruction once his mission is accomplished. Don't confuse the Golem with Frankenstein. The Golem is many centuries older and while it might have influenced Mary Shelley's Frankenstein the Greco-Roman myth of Prometheus was part of the original subtitle. Rabbi Loew was not a mad scientist, he created the Golem to save his people, and the Golem was always under his control.

Sherwin takes the position that cloning is not contrary to Halacha, Torah Law. He points out that Adam was also fashioned by G-d from the clay and then given a soul. As Eve was molded from Adam's side neither was conceived. He alludes to man's having been given dominion over the earth and that we are to be imitators of G-d, not usurpers like those who built the Tower of Babel. Man can not technically play G-d until he creates something from nothing as opposed to taking raw material and refining, transplanting it, etc. What Sherwin does NOT broach is the Torah's prohibition against crossbreeding species or even planting different crops together. (In fact, orthodox Jews will not wear sha'atnez, clothing that contains fibers from both plant and animal sources.) When I think about this prohibition the calamity of killer bees usually comes to mind.

There is also a bit of confusion surrounding the terminology used describe fertilized eggs or pre-embryos, technically they are zygotes. The zygote does not begin implanting until about a week after conception and is not considered an embryo until the second week. During this two week period the zygote is simply replicating clumps of cells and has no discernable human characteristics. Given that Sherwin has an obvious bias in favor of stem-cell research he should have clarified his opponents' attempts to obfuscate the general public.

Sherwin's tone is optimistic when describing future cyborgs, humans and machines combined, but he also offers scary fodder for science fiction writers. What I found most riveting was the chapter, "Corporate Golems." He gives a brief history of corporations in the US and Europe. He compares corporations to the Frankenstein monster, as they have incredible rights and power and very few responsibilities and liabilities. His case in point is I.G. Farben, Nazi Germany's conglomerate. He makes a case that without the prompting of I.G. Farben , who wanted slave labor, the Nazis would not have been able to terrorize Europe. After the war Farben was supposedly punished, by being broken up into smaller corporations, each of which today is larger than I.G. Farben. Most chillingly he points out that American corporations like Ford, IBM, Standard Oil, and DuPont continued to do business with I.G. Farben during WWII. If these were individuals they would have been prosecuted for treason. Not only does Sherwin compare this to the Frankenstein monster, but likens it to the sci-fi scenario of AI, artificial intelligence run amok. In other words humans create corporations, corporations slowly begin gaining control over society, then they become unstoppable and cases like I.G. Farben commit mass murder with impunity.

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Golem
Eduard Petiska
Manufacturer: Martin;
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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The golem remembered, 1909-1980: Variations of a Jewish legend

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The golem remembered, 1909-1980: Variations of a Jewish legend
Arnold L Goldsmith
Manufacturer: Wayne State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0814316832

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Golem: A Giant Made of Mud
Mark H. Podwal
Manufacturer: Greenwillow Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Breathing mud: The legend of the Golem
Lynne Avadenka
Manufacturer: Land Marks Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006RE6C0

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The golem legend meets science and technology

Golem Legend
Byron L. Sherwin
Manufacturer: University Press of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0819144029

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The golem legend meets science and technology.......2000-05-13

Sherwin looks at the influence the golem legend has had in the popular imagination, tracing its history and focusing on some of the questions that have the legend poses: What does it mean to create an artificial human? How do you define "human" or "life"? What are the rights of an artificially created being? etc. Sherwin connects these questions to the modern advances in science and technology, like artificial intelligence and genetic engineering, that pose the same kinds of questions. It's a short book (55 pages with a 5-page bibliography), but it begins some very interesting discussions.

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