TOSCANINI Musician of Conscience

This exhaustive biography of world-renowned musician and composer Arturo Toscanini is a significant undertaking for both narrator and listener. Happily, Paul Boehmer has the skill to deliver this lengthy history with the clarity and fluency the excellent writing deserves while maintaining a comfortable pace that advances the text briskly without rushing through the fascinating details. Boehmer also provides great color and authenticity as he slips easily from English to Toscanini's native Italian and the French, German, and Russian of the maestro's favorite composers. Although mainly a treat for music and opera buffs, the audiobook contains sufficient details of Toscanini's spicy and turbulent personal life for broader audience appeal. Virtuoso performances by both Sachs and Boehmer result in a successful audiobook experience. M.O.B. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2017]