An intimate, moving, dramatic story about the musicians in a great orchestra who make music come alive in performance and recording. The musicians here are members of the fabled Boston Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Seiji Ozawa, during a season highlighted by Mahler’s Second Symphony, The Resurrection.

“Demystifying and humanizing the august Boston Symphony Orchestra—and expertly discussing, as the book’s leitmotif, the intricacies of Mahler Two. . . .Vigeland is at his best in conveying the emotive power of music.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“An absolutely fascinating book dealing with tension—artistic, musical, and personal tension . . . Music is the background, but the theme is really a conflict of two people with completely different approaches to art—and to life.” —Studs Terkel
 
“I have read thousands of books about music, but never anything quite like this . . . Vigeland writes with knowledge and skill, and his decision to keep most of the text in the present tense adds to the forward-pushing tautness of the narrative.” —Ned Rorem
 
“A wise, compassionate, and fascinating look at an orchestra’s inner life. . . . A work of universal interest.” —Classical magazine