ABSTRACT
To the waning numbers of music lovers who have a clear memory of a live or even a recorded performance conducted by Arturo Toscanim, it must be galling to note how the grandeur of his achievement is gradually diminishing, principally among the two or three most recent generations of musicians and music lovers. Harvey Sachs, the editor of the present compilation of Toscanini letters is also a fervent admirer of Toscanini. He is the author of a balanced and authoritative biography, Toscanini, along with a collection of essays on various aspects of the Toscanini legacy, Reflections on Toscanini. In his 1978 biography, Mr. Sachs rarely attempted to make psychological insights into what drove Toscanini to such splendid artistic excesses, but there were moments when the biographer suggested that Toscanini was not a cheerful character by nature.
