Synopses & Reviews
Drawing on a mass of unpublished writings and archival sources from prerevolutionary Russian conservatories, this book offers an insightful account of the Jewish search for a modern identity in Russia through music, rather than politics or religion.
Review
'“Lively and informed.”--Benjamin Ivry,
The Forward
-- Hillel Italie - The Associated Press'
Review
"Excellent."—Adam Kirsch,
Tablet Magazine --Benjamin Ivry - The Forward
Review
"Fascinating. . . deserves a readership well beyond the scholarly or musicological."and#8212;Simon Wynberg, ARC Ensemble
Review
"A significant contribution to cultural history. . . beautifully written. . . a pleasure to read."and#8212;Ellen Schiff, JewishTheatre.com
Review
"James Loeffler's stimulating and provocative study contributes creatively to a number of scholarly streams of inquiry."and#8212;Alexander Orbach, The Russian Review
Review
“Lively and informed.”—Benjamin Ivry,
The Forward
--The New Yorker
Review
“Lively and informed.”—Benjamin Ivry,
The Forward
--Austin American Statesman
Review
and#8220;With this solid, savvy, and satisfying book, Loeffler advances Jewish studies, music history, and Russian studies by shedding new light on the stage of a twentieth-century social and musical drama.and#8221;and#8212;Mark Slobin, author of Fiddler on the Move: Exploring the Klezmer World
Review
and#8220;The Jewsand#8217; remarkable place in the modern history of music and#8211; classical, popular and folk and#8211; is well known, but rarely subjected to serious analysis.andnbsp;Loefflerand#8217;sandnbsp;sophisticated and deeply researched book casts new light both on the Jewish contribution to music in general and to the emergence of specifically and#8216;Jewish musicand#8217; in the Russian Empire, home to the largest and most vital Jewish community in the world."and#8212;Ezra Mendelsohn, The Hebrew University
Review
and#8220;James Loefflerand#8217;s new book is both fascinating and pathbreaking. This important and original contribution to scholarship must be read by students of music, Russian culture, and Jewish history.and#8221;and#8212;Leon Botstein, President of Bard College, and Music Director and Conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra
Review
and#8220;Lively and informed.and#8221;and#8212;Benjamin Ivry,
The Forward andnbsp;
Review
"Excellent."and#8212;Adam Kirsch,
Tablet MagazineReview
". . . meticulously researched study . . . [a] compelling historical narrative."and#8212;Klara Moricz, Slavic Review
Review
Finalist for the 2012 Sami Rohr Book Prize for Jewish Literature, as given by the Jewish Book Council.
Review
Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2011 in the Music category.
Review
Won the Band#233;la Bartand#243;k Award for Outstanding Ethnomusicological Book sponsored by ASCAP
Review
Honorable Mention from the Association for Jewish Studies, Jordan Schnitzer Book Award in the category of Cultural Studies and Media Studies.
Review
Long-listed for the 2012 Historia Nova Prize for the Best Book on Russian Intellectual History sponsored by the Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation and Academic Studies Press.
About the Author
James Loeffler is associate professor of history at the University of Virginia.