The Silent Musician: Why Conducting Matters

"Meditations on the craft of conducting, written with grace and humor, unfailingly light in spirit but sometimes profound." —The Washington Post

The conductor—formally attired, imposingly poised above an orchestra, baton waving dramatically—is a familiar figure even for those who never set foot in a concert hall. As a veritable icon for classical music, the conductor has also been subjected to some ungenerous caricatures, presented variously as unhinged gesticulator, indulged megalomaniac, ...