Inside the World of Classical Music

The mini-essays in this book are drawn from the South Carolina Public Radio program A Minute with Miles. Personal, down to earth, often funny, always fascinating—since 2011 the "Minutes" have been brilliantly illuminating the world of classical music and taking us into that world. What do musicians think about while performing, and what are their nightmares? What is it about Bach's sacred music that speaks to people of different religions, or of no religion, and what does Mozart's character Don Giovanni teach us about truth in music? What should you say to a performer after a dreadful performance, when you have to say something? And what music would you definitely not want with you if you were stranded on a desert island? As you read the mini-essays you'll find the answers to these questions and many more, and your delightful musical journey will be filled with insights and discoveries.

The mini-essays in this book are drawn from the South Carolina Public Radio program A Minute with Miles. Personal, down to earth, often funny, always fascinating—since 2011 the "Minutes" have been brilliantly illuminating the world of classical music and taking us into that world. What do musicians think about while performing, and what are their nightmares? What is it about Bach's sacred music that speaks to people of different religions, or of no religion, and what does Mozart's character Don Giovanni teach us about truth in music? What should you say to a performer after a dreadful performance, when you have to say something? And what music would you definitely not want with you if you were stranded on a desert island? As you read the mini-essays you'll find the answers to these questions and many more, and your delightful musical journey will be filled with insights and discoveries.  Inside the World of Classical Music is divided into four broad sections: 1. Classical Music 2. Composers 3. Performers and Performing 4. Instruments. Within these sections, expect to find the unexpected -- a collection of insights, information, observations, and stories from the world of classical music that you won't find anywhere else.

MILES HOFFMAN is the founder and violist of the American Chamber Players, and the Virginia I. Norman Distinguished Visiting Professor of Chamber Music at the Schwob School of Music, in Columbus, Georgia. He has appeared as viola soloist with orchestras all across the United States, and his solo performances on YouTube have received well over 650,000 views. His radio modules, A Minute with Miles, are a daily feature of South Carolina Public Radio and other networks around the country. His musical commentary, Coming to Terms, was broadcast weekly from 1989 to 2002 on NPR's Performance Today, and since 2002 he has been a classical music commentator for NPR's flagship news program, Morning Edition. He is the author of The NPR Classical Music Companion: An Essential Guide for Enlightened Listening, and he has written articles for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The Wilson Quarterly. A distinguished teacher and clinician, and former dean of the Petrie School of Music at Converse College, he has presented countless master classes, workshops, children's programs, and other educational programs at schools, colleges, and conservatories around the country, and he has been a featured lecturer and keynote speaker for orchestras, chamber music series, festivals, and various professional organizations and conferences. He is a graduate of Yale University and the Juilliard School.