Hans von Bulow

Drawing upon an extensive selection of rare letters, reviews and memoirs, Kenneth Birkin sets Hans von Bülow's work as a recitalist, chamber-music artist and orchestral conductor at the centre of a disturbed and eventful life.

Bülow's Zukunftsmusik advocacy and ruthless criticism of performance standards in Berlin and Munich antagonised a musical 'establishment' nonetheless spellbound by his keyboard and orchestral mastery. Birkin pays particular attention to the Tristan and Meistersinger premieres, Cosima's desertion, the European and American tours and operatic activities in Hamburg and Hanover, as well as Bülow's pedagogic activities and forays into musical journalism.

The book makes liberal use of Bülow's correspondence, published and unpublished, which personalises the narrative. Contemporary comments and reviews, translated here for the first time, give the reader an insight into the critical and public reaction. An extensive Appendix records the dates and venues of all Bülow's public appearances, both as pianist and conductor.

• Includes an extensive appendix which chronicles von Bülow's career by listing all his public appearances, both as pianist and conductor - this provides a unique and valuable summary of public taste, reception and changing trends over almost half a century
• Contains many quotations from Bülow's own letters which give a fascinating 'inside' view of events
• The book avoids technical jargon, is written in a 'user-friendly' way and chapters are clearly organised in chronological order for ease of use