Bill(Y).remarked/inquired:

>The Reviewer of Matthew Boyden's Recent Book on Richard Strauss seems
>to have had Zero to say about Strauss the Composer - But, Boy, did he get
>stuck into Strauss the Hitler Sympathiser?!* There did Not appear to be
>one "redeeming feature" about Herr Strauss @ all in all of the 1/2 page
>review?? Anyone read this book?? Is it "authoritative"?? Is it from
>"an impeccable source"?? Is it "the real McCoy"??

I haven't yet read it--based on the reviews I've seen, it is unlikely that
I will buy it.

There's a good combined review of it and Michael Kennedy's recent Strauss
book (which I do own) by Michael Tanner (a major expert on German music
in the Nazi era) in the Times Literary Supplement of a few months back
in which he strongly criticizes both Boyden's musical analyses and his
interpretation of the historical facts.  Tanner does find that Kennedy is
perhaps too eager to exculpate or explain away Strauss' actions, but that
he is more plausible in this regard than Boyden is in condemning Strauss.

Joel Lazar
Conductor, Bethesda MD
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