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Nancy Shear was
only fifteen when she began sneaking into Philadelphia
Orchestra concerts through the stage door, and
seventeen when she was hired as a member of the
orchestra’s library staff to help prepare the music;
one year later, she became Leopold Stokowski’s musical
assistant. Being young and female, she was a pioneer
in both positions.
I Knew a Man Who Knew Brahms
takes readers into the homes, studios, and minds of
legendary artists with whom Shear shared close
personal relationships, including Stokowski, Mstislav
Rostropovich, Eugene Ormandy, and members of the
Philadelphia Orchestra. Many of these brilliant and
talented artists were also outrageous, egocentric, and
tyrannical. Throughout this book, Shear topples more
than a few revered musicians from their podiums and
their pedestals.
A literary welcome mat to the
beautiful world of classical music, this memoir is
accessible and engaging for all. It brings readers
into rehearsals and concert halls, revealing the
choices musicians must consider, and what conductors,
players, and composers really do.
A heartwarming story about passion,
determination, and survival,
I Knew a Man Who Knew Brahms explores music at
its core. No reader will ever listen to music the same
way again.
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