Beating Time: A Musician's Memoir [Hardcover]

Harry Ellis Dickson (Author), John Williams (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 1995

In this charming memoir, Harry Ellis Dickson, one of Boston's most beloved and energetic musicians, recollects his long and illustrious life and career. The son of Russian immigrants, Dickson was violinist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra for fifty years and Assistant Conductor for Arthur Fiedler's Boston Pops. With humor and warmth, he shares reminiscences and anecdotes about family and friends, colleagues, travels, and the Boston Symphony, including reflections on the presidential campaign of his son-in-law Michael Dukakis and his daughter Kitty's struggles with alcoholism.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Although the author of this delightful memoir is now an octogenarian, his stories and writing style are as fresh as if he'd just begun his extraordinary career. As it is, he has a storehouse of tales about his 49 years as a violinist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and as assistant conductor for the Boston Pops. Dickson (Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, LJ 4/15/81) chronicles a fair amount of BSO history?the union movement, the introduction of young people's concerts, the road tours?without making this memoir sound like a dry textbook. Interspersed are many cameo appearances by world-famous figures, including conductors Serge Koussevitsky, Seiji Ozawa, and Arthur Fiedler and even Danny Kaye. His anecdotes are told with wit, charm, and impeccable timing. Dickson also tells of the trials of his Russian immigrant parents as well as the ups and downs of son-in-law Michael Dukakis's presidential campaign and its heartrending effects on his daughter, Kitty. Recommended for popular music collections and larger academic libraries.?Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, N.J.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Told with wit, charm, and impeccable timing." -- Library Journal

Told with wit, charm, and impeccable timing. -- Library Journal

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Northeastern; 1St Edition edition (May 4, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555532292
• ISBN-13: 978-1555532291
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,745,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!, September 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Beating Time: A Musician's Memoir (Hardcover)

Most could only dream of living a life like that of Harry Ellis Dickson. This book is eloquently written, humorous, and eye opening. It is must read for any musician.

2.0 out of 5 stars Carelessly written, March 16, 2008

By 

Marko Velikonja (Yerevan, Armenina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beating Time: A Musician's Memoir (Hardcover)

I loved Harry Ellis Dickson's first book, "Gentlemen, More Dolce, Please" from around 1969. It was much better than this one. In the introduction, Dickson admits that he didn't do any research for this book, and it shows; he often tells the same anecdotes but with different details; I assume the first one had it right. I recommend very strongly "Gentlemen, More Dolce, Please," if you can find it. This one has some interesting stories but isn't nearly as good.