Bruno Walter: A World Elsewhere [Hardcover]

Mr. Erik Ryding (Author), Ms. Rebecca Pechefsky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001

Bruno Walter, one of the greatest conductors in the twentieth century, lived a fascinating life in difficult times. This engrossing book is the first full-length biography of Walter to appear in English. Erik Ryding and Rebecca Pechefsky describe Walter's early years in Germany, where his successes in provincial theatres led to positions at the Berlin State Opera and the Vienna State Opera. They then tell of his decade-long term as Bavarian music director and his romantic involvement with the soprano Delia Reinhardt; his other positions in the musical community until he was ousted from Germany when the Nazi Party came to power in 1933; and his return to Vienna, where he was artistic director of the Opera House until he was again forced out by the Nazis. Finally they trace his career in the United States, where he led the New York Philharmonic and other orchestras and in his last years made numerous recordings with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble created especially for him. Ryding and Pechefsky are the first biographers to make extensive use of the thousands of unpublished letters in the Bruno Walter Papers, now in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. In addition to interviewing more than sixty people who knew Walter, they examined countless reviews to assess the popular and critical impact he had on his time. Authoritative and even-handed, this biography sheds new light on Walter, one of the great formative influences in musical interpretation.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Using information gathered from thousands of unpublished letters, concert reviews, interviews, and recordings, Ryding, manager of catalog development at Sony Classical, and freelance harpsichordist Pechefsky trace the life and career of Walter (1876-1962), one of the most influential conductors of the 20th century. The biography is deservedly full of praise for its talented subject, but the authors do not hide his faults or suppress the less favorable reviews or criticisms he received during a brilliant career. The book opens with Walter's early successes in turn-of-the-century Germany, where he was aided by Gustav Mahler (who also encouraged him to change his name from Schlesinger) and continues through his expulsion from Europe in the 1930s by the Nazis and his many triumphs in North America. The picture they paint is a vivid one, and the treatment is thorough and well documented. Highly recommended. Timothy J. McGee, Univ. of Toronto
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Conductor, composer, pianist, and writer Bruno Walter (1876-1962) studied with Mahler and championed his music and that of Wagner in both opera house and concert hall. Starting in Germany and making his name in Vienna, he left for America in 1939 to escape the Nazis. He was musical adviser to the New York Philharmonic and conducted the Metropolitan Opera's orchestra and many others. He dismissed atonal music as unappealing to the emotions and embraced anthroposophy, which shunned materialism and concentrated on ethics and the soul. With only the slightest guidance concerning his own view of a composition and its composer's intentions, he let the musicians he directed make music. His three books, many essays, and especially his many recordings keep his reputation fresh. Drawing on his collected papers and letters, numerous interviews, and reviews of his concerts, Ryding and Pechefsky trace Walter through Europe and America. They illuminate the honorable and ethical man that he was as well as his interpretive approaches as one of the best-loved conductors of the twentieth century. Alan Hirsch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 544 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300087136
• ISBN-13: 978-0300087130
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,532,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gentle reader opines, July 11, 2001

By 

Al Past (Beeville, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bruno Walter: A World Elsewhere (Hardcover)

I probably qualify as a representative of the tribe of general readers, being mostly an interested amateur in what this book covers. As such, I found "Bruno Walter: a World Elsewhere" a very satisfying window into an era of music (and my childhood) that I was heretofore only vaguely aware of. In other words, it helped me fit together and fill out a picture of the musical and political and social history of the twentieth century, and that alone made it worthwhile.

But aside from that, it was simply great fun to read personal vignettes about so many eminent musicians, composers, conductors, and others. I found the book entertaining reading too, I mean to say--a dandy thing, in the summer (or any other time as well)!

While I may be an amateur as far as the contents of the biography go, I am also a professor and teacher of writing, and it was gratifying to find a biography written so smoothly that reading it was a pleasure, which is by no means the rule in scholarly biographies. There are notes and indeces aplenty for the scholars, but these should not dissuade the general reader--they do not get in the way in the least.

Add to this the fact that the volume is a handsomely designed one, with splendid pictures and an attractive typeface, and you have a book truly worth owning--or giving, for that matter.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vindication for a neglected master, June 28, 2001

By 

Arthur Leonard (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bruno Walter: A World Elsewhere (Hardcover)

Finally, a full-length biography of Bruno Walter in English that devotees of his work can savor. Walter was widely recognized in his time as one of the master conductors, but his lack of flashiness, and sometimes fake air of saintliness, are off-putting to our star-obsessed age, so he hasn't received the recognition he deserves. SONY is sitting on a large back-catalog of important mono recordings by him that may never see the light of digital distribution -- or perhaps the imminent changes in music distribution wrought by the internet will eventually make it all available. Meanwhile, this very well-done, comprehensive biography will have to do. My biggest complaint is the lack of a complete discography as an appendix to the book - referring people to websites won't cut it yet, as too many folks still don't have regular internet access. Apart from that failing, this is a model of what an arts biography should be, a well-researched life, a serious consideration of issues of personal performing style, and decent pictures.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bruno Walter:A World Elsewhere, November 3, 2001

By 

Doug Rea (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bruno Walter: A World Elsewhere (Hardcover)

To say that the book "Bruno Walter: A World Elsewhere" is both a godsend and a delight would be an understatement-I cannot say enough good about this work. "A World Elsewhere" is a detailed and concise look at the conductors' life and career from birth until death-and in English.(My definite language of choice) It offers a style that is smooth and a pleasure to read and obviously involved alot of meticulous research. I have been an admirer of Bruno Walter for many years, and this biography is the perfect companion to my collection of Walters'recordings.It is an even-handed, multi-faceted depiction of the conductors' experiences. In reading "A World Elsewhere", I have learned much about the man that has enabled me to understand his life better; although the book does not go into alot of detail about Bruno Walters' connection with Anthroposophy, it has still inspired me to investigate this movement further. "A World Elsewhere" is a definite "must read" for anyone who admired Bruno Walter- a great conductor whose involvement with music touched and enriched many people's lives, and still does today.

Doug Rea