Capsule Reviews
Mozart and Baseball
Many people don’t know that before Mozart in the Jungle was a TV series, it was a book. The series, apparently to get ratings, focused on sex and drugs in classical music. The book did too, but it was about much more than that.
Blair Tindall, the author, was a professional oboist in New York who went to the famous Juilliard School and graduated to play in a wide variety of ensembles, notably the New York Philharmonic. In her memoir, she chose to include drugs and sexual encounters, and she named names, a practice that was widely condemned by musicians.
In addition, though, Tindall gave a down-to earth, behind-the-scenes account of this little-known career, which most people vaguely associate with black dresses and bowties. She discussed the triumphs and frustrations of life as a musician, described the business side of her profession, and questioned the practice of training thousands of young people for just a handful of jobs.
|