My book ‘Sleeping in Temples’ has been named as one of the ‘Books of the Year’ by Classical Music magazine. In November it was their ‘Editor’s Choice’ with a five-star review, and now in December it has been upgraded to one of the ten ‘books of the year’. What a fabulous Christmas present!
The November review of my book in Classical Music is now online.
It’s delightful too that one of their other ‘books of the year’ is ‘Capturing Music’, a history of notation by Thomas Forrest Kelly of Harvard University. I knew Tom when I was a student, when he was (I think) a Visiting Scholar, considered extremely charming and witty in that wonderfully dry American way. We lost touch for years and years, but I was very pleased to see his new book alongside mine in the list.
I am making my way through your book and finished reading the ‘Temps Perdu’ chapter today. While I have, of course, always noticed whether or not a performer was joined by a page turner on stage I can’t say I ever thought one way or another about it. I wonder what portion of the typical audience even cares.
Well, it would of course be interesting to know how many people care about it or not! I think part of the pressure to memorise comes from within the music community, and is not simply a matter of thinking that the audience requires it.