From one of the world's most beloved and respected public intellectuals comes a sweeping work of musical criticism, examining the distance between the performer and their audience

'Not since Virgil Thomson have we had a music critic with as wide ranging a view as Edward Said.'—Studs Terkel

'Wonderful personal thoughts on music and musicians . . . Mr. Said is marvelous.'—New York Times Book Review

Filling a significant gap in contemporary cultural studies, Musical Elaborations examines the intersection of the public and private meaning of music. Incorporating the music criticism of Adorno, musical ideas from literary works by Proust, and criticism by Benjamin and de Man into his work, noted critic Edward W. Said discusses performers such as Glenn Gould, Arturo Toscanini, and Alfred Brendel and such composers as Beethoven, Wagner, and Strauss.

*Includes a downloadable PDF containing samples of sheet music for pieces discussed throughout the book