"[Taruskin's] command of this subject is surely unparalleled... This is an authoritative, consistently challenging, deeply engaging volume of essays - very strongly recommended." -- Philip Borg-Wheeler Classical Music Magazine "Very entertaining." -- Michael Kimmelman New York Review Of Books "[Taruskin's essays] demonstrate his ... rare gift for conveying complex information in a concise, accessible manner... An essential compendium." Notes "Whether [Taruskin is] validating Susan McClary's sexist charges at Beethoven or implicitly acknowledging his debt to Donald Francis Tovey, reading his essays will make you a better, smarter person." Huffington Post