From Silence: Finding Calm in a Dissonant World

by Franz Welser-Möst, Christine Shuttleworth (Translator), Axel Brüggemann (Contributor)

‘If my life has a leitmotif, it is probably the fulfilment of silence, which, today in particular, forms an antithesis to the fast pace of our existence.’ Involved in a serious car accident, the young Franz Welser-Möst experienced the sound of silence, which was the key that unlocked a completely new way of thinking for the celebrated conductor. Here he takes us with him on a journey through his life in music and reveals a glimpse of the inner complexities of an opera house and orchestra. He candidly explains how he has continually reinvented himself after a series of setbacks, and that both disasters and triumphs have served to shape and enrich his musical trajectory. This book is a heartfelt appeal for the continued rediscovery of music as well as a convincing alternative to the noise of the world. ‘If my life has a leitmotif, it is probably the fulfilment of silence, which, today in particular, forms an antithesis to the fast pace of our existence.’ Involved in a serious car accident, the young Franz Welser-Möst experienced the sound of silence, which was the key that unlocked a completely new way of thinking for the celebrated conductor. Here he takes us with him on a journey through his life in music and reveals a glimpse of the inner complexities of an opera house and orchestra. He candidly explains how he has continually reinvented himself after a series of setbacks, and that both disasters and triumphs have served to shape and enrich his musical trajectory. This book is a heartfelt appeal for the continued rediscovery of music as well as a convincing alternative to the noise of the world.

Genres: Music, Biography

184 pages, Hardcover

First published May 21, 2021

Reviews

[David Dunlap · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book: part memoir/autobiography, part a discussion of aesthetics, part a view behind the curtain, as it were, at the life of a conductor. Above all, it is a portrait of Maestro Franz Welser-Möst in all his variety and complexity. The overall leitmotif of the book is silence and its importance in relation to music. Herr Welser-Möst opens with a discussion of a life-changing event: a serious automobile accident which resulted in nerve damage to his hands, to such a degree that it put paid to his hoped-for career as a concert violinist. He turned to conducting instead, to the benefit of the classical music world. -- I enjoyed this book, but -- truth be told -- found the style a bit too cerebral, even dry, in spots. Nevertheless, I have no qualms about recommending it to anyone with an interest in the state of classical music today -- and anyone who lives in Cleveland, Ohio!

[Vincent Lombardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

My wife and I are long-time subscribers to and supporters of the Cleveland Orchestra and we think very highly of its Music Director, Franz Welser-Most. This memoir is a stream of consciousness which moves back and forth in time, covering his personal and professional life and his views on many things. It is sometimes boring and repetitive, and Welser-Most does not reveal much about his personal life. But I liked the book overall. However, I would only recommend the book if you really admire Welser-Most and are interested in knowing a little more about him.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this book because I love the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra (CSO). The book is part autobiography and part tome. It traces Welser-Most’s evolution as a conductor and touches on the seminal influences in his development. He had originally been a violinist, but an accident left him with nerve damage in his fingers and cost him his ability to play. You might say he was an accidental conductor (okay that was bad). It was not an easy road and his first experience as a music director with the London Philharmonic was not a pleasant one, but he learned from that job. Then he took other positions in Europe. Welser-Most is a musician’s conductor. He sees conducting as a collaborative effort where you seek input from the musicians as well as provide them with input. This is complicated because a piece that was created to be played in 1825 might need modification or adjustment to be played in 2022 almost 200 years later. To do that you have to get into the originator’s head. It is not enough to know the musical score, you have to have a well researched sense of why the composer put the piece together the way he or she did. You must, to the extent possible, put yourself in the mind of the composer. To do this requires intense focus and concentration. It also requires meditation, silence, and escape from the cacophony that is everyday life in the year 2022. This is Welser-Most’s 20th year as the CSO music director. This book gives you a sense of why the CSO is no longer your grandparents’ orchestra and how it has adapted to the present and in the process fully become Franz Welser-Most’s orchestra. It is his orchestra and he is the musicians’ conductor. Careful reading of this book also gives the reader a real sense of Welser-Most’s likes and dislikes. And, yet, throughout the book, there was a definite feeling of restraint as if a few things were being held back The book is heavily Eurocentric and was written in German. It was a collaborative effort with Axel Brüggemann. The translation by Christine Shutteworth is excellent.

[Mercedes Peterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the connections made and the hope for children to maintain connection to music. I was not aware of his connection to opera.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich schätze Herrn Welser-Möst als Dirigenten. Hier hat er eIn gut lesbares Buch mit vielen klugen Anregungen und Einblicken in das Musikgeschehen sowie zum Verständnis von Musik vorgelegt, das ich sehr empfehle.

[Koschka Günter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ca. die Hälfte gelesen.
Ganz interessant, jedoch zu Klassik-lastig