Violin Dreams
Violin Dreams by Arnold Steinhardt, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on October 4, 2006, is a memoir that explores the author’s lifelong passion for the violin. Spanning 255 pages, this edition includes an audio CD featuring Steinhardt’s performances, offering readers a unique auditory experience alongside the narrative. The book presents a blend of personal anecdotes and insights into the world of music, detailing Steinhardt’s journey as an artist and the evolution of twentieth-century music.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of experiences, from the challenges posed by early violin teachers to the pursuit of the perfect instrument. Steinhardt shares his reflections on Bach’s Chaconne, describing it as a pinnacle for solo violinists, and delves into the history of renowned Italian violinmakers. The memoir is infused with warmth and wit, providing a captivating look at the life of a violinist and the intricate relationship between music and artistry. The included CD enhances the reading experience, featuring a conversation with Alan Alda that contrasts Steinhardt’s performances over the years.
Official synopsis Publisher
“A rapturous, witty, and passionate memoir … Violin Dreams is not only the story of a man becoming an artist, it’s a history of twentieth-century music.” — John Guare, Tony Award–winning playwright
Arnold Steinhardt, for more than forty years an international soloist and the first violinist of the Guarneri String Quartet, brings warmth, wit, and fascinating insider details to the story of his lifelong obsession with the violin, that most seductive and stunningly beautiful instrument. His story is rich with vivid scenes: the terror inflicted by his early violin teachers, the sensual pleasure involved in the pursuit of the perfect violin, the charged atmosphere of high-level competitions. Steinhardt describes Bach’s Chaconne as the holy grail for the solo violin, and he illuminates, from the perspective of an ardent owner of a great Storioni violin, the history and mysteries of the renowned Italian violinmakers.
Violin Dreams includes a remarkable CD recording of Steinhardt performing Bach’s Partita in D Minor as a young violinist forty years ago and playing the same piece especially for this book. A conversation between the author and Alan Alda on the differences between the two performances is included in the liner notes.
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