Priest of Music : The Life of Dimitri Mitropoulos

Rating:
Summary: A fine job
Review: I stumbled on the name Dimitri Mitropoulos quite by accident, as one never hears him mentioned much in the same way Karajan, Bernstein, and others are. Neither have I heard any of his recordings. This book helped me delve into this great man's life - what a singular purpose of mind he had - total dedication to his craft. William Trotter succeeds in giving us not just the details of his life (which, by themselves, are not exactly mundane), but also in bringing the reader the imagery, the depth of feeling of Mitropoulos' work. One can feel and see him conducting in his full glory. Having had this marvellous biography brought to me, I am now eagerly buying whatever recordings conducted by Mitropoulos that I can find. I agree with the other reader who commented - a discography would be most welcome.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful biography of a forgotten giant
Review: I stumbled on the name Dimitri Mitropoulos quite by accident, as one never hears him mentioned much in the same way Karajan, Bernstein, and others are. Neither have I heard any of his recordings. This book helped me delve into this great man's life - what a singular purpose of mind he had - total dedication to his craft. William Trotter succeeds in giving us not just the details of his life (which, by themselves, are not exactly mundane), but also in bringing the reader the imagery, the depth of feeling of Mitropoulos' work. One can feel and see him conducting in his full glory. Having had this marvellous biography brought to me, I am now eagerly buying whatever recordings conducted by Mitropoulos that I can find. I agree with the other reader who commented - a discography would be most welcome.

Rating:
Summary: A fine job
Review: Mitropoulos's career, method of working, extraordinarymusicianship are described in detail. Also described is his sweetnessand naiveté. Aside from some special pleading when he bashes other conductors in defense of Mitropoulos, Trotter does a fine job of pulling together the research of Oliver Daniel who died before he could write the biography.

Rating:
Summary: Excllent Biography Of A Nearly Forgotten Master
Review: When Dimitri Mitropoulos died in 1961 while rehearsing Mahler's 3rd Symphony the classical music world lost one of its most imaginative and original conductors. It was Mitropoulos through his New York Philharmonic concerts and broadcasts in the 1950's who really widely exposed American audiences to the works of Mahler (he gave the American premiere of the 6th Symphony). Trotter's biography gives an excellent account of his career from its early days in Greece and Berlin to his work in New York and Minneapolis. The backstage back stabbing that drove him from the New York Philharmonic is clearly laid out with names named and sources cited. To say the least some well known figures of the classical music world do not come out of this smelling too good.Trotter's biography will hopefully introduce to new
audiences to one of the 20th Century's great conductors who, within a few years after his death, nearly faded into obscurity.