“The autobiography we couldn’t possibly have predicted ... fragments from a life devoted to music, and especially to Bach.”
WHAT DO WE MAKE OF BACH?
Portraits, Essays, Notes
"A superb small book ... intense and moving ... lucid and instructive." - Michael Fried
"Fascinating collection of biographical sketches, essays, and program notes ... a memoir of [Harbison's] evolution as a composer and performer." - Richard Griscom
"The autobiography we couldn't possibly have predicted ... fragments from a life devoted to music, and especially to Bach." - Lloyd Schwartz
"Valuable, eloquent insights into the journey of an essential American composer." - James Primosch
"Wonderfully personal, poetic, illuminating sketches and essays ... we begin to understand Bach's work as a living, breathing model for our musical and artistic selves." - Robert Kirzinger
Composer John Harbison is among America’s most distinguished artistic figures. Recipient of numerous awards and honors, among them a MacArthur and a Pulitzer, his work encompasses all genres, from chamber music to opera, sacred to secular. He has composed for most of America’s premiere musical institutions, including the Metropolitan Opera, the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle and New York; the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Institute Professor at MIT, John Harbison’s absorption in the music of J.S. Bach has been a lifelong touchstone in all of his work: as conductor, performer, composer, teacher, and scholar.
