The Cleveland Orchestra Story: "Second to None" - Hardcover

[A] fascinating and carefully researched history.--Richard Dyer"Boston Globe Online (boston.com)" (10/01/2000)

Absorbing.--Alex Ross"The New Yorker" (10/09/2000)

Manages to be both crammed full of facts and a good, fast-paced read . . . it's about as comprehensive--and entertaining--a history of a great musical organization you're likely to encounter.-- (09/29/2000)

A meticulously researched, in-depth, eloquently told account, and quite possibly the finest of its kind ever written, at least in English . . . A gripping story that the reader, once engaged, can put aside only with the greatest difficulty . . . Fascinating anecdotes, quips, stories, facts and events are found on nearly every page . . . Will fascinate not only Cleveland Orchestra fans but anyone interested in how a great orchestra is created and how it operates on a daily basis.-- (06/01/2001)

A fascinating history of the tangled but sometimes fruitful relationship between politics and the arts in America--a story written with admiration, respect and affection, but also with a candor and detail . . . Highly detailed and informative, but written with ease and authority and dramatic immediacy . . . A frank, detailed account of how an important performing company operates in a large American city.-- (10/08/2000)

Much more than a history of one of the finest U.S. orchestras . . . Donald Rosenberg has written a fascinating account of music, musicians, politics, unbridled egos, and business that engages the reader like a good mystery novel . . . thoroughly researched, well documented, and very well written.-- (11/15/2000)

It is ambitious, but Mr. Rosenberg, an engaging and often eloquent writer, succeeds in making this a human story. The result is a readable, colorful and fascinating chronicle that is an indispensable addition to any orchestra lover's library.-- (02/04/2001)

Absorbing reading, not merely a reference piece. Nor is it a lazy view of the subject from the rear of the balcony . . . Irresistible, tremendously informative and a just plain good read. And yes, it should be in the library of every lover of symphonic music and certainly every collector of books on music. Period!-- (03/28/2001)

A tour de force and will be the standard for many years. Rosenberg never loses sight of the human element in the orchestra's history . . . It is long, but it is a wonderful read.-- (03/23/2001)

A gripping, complex, sweeping, highly recommended story of true drama and high achievement . . . "Must" reading for anyone who has admired this American music institution as well as the men and women who made it possible.-- (03/01/2001)