Harvey Sachs Publishes New Book: "Schoenberg: Why He Matters"

“[A]n immensely valuable source for anyone desiring an accessible overview of this endlessly controversial and chronically misunderstood giant of 20th-century music.” —John Adams, New York Times Book Review, cover review

Acclaimed writer, music historian, and musical studies faculty member Harvey Sachs, biographer of Toscanini, has penned a new book, Schoenberg: Why He Matters, published through Liveright (New York and London). A New Yorker Best Book of the Year, Mr. Sachs’ portrait of international icon, Austrian American composer Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951) has been met with additional praise from the Washington Post, Kirkus Review, the Wall Street Journal, and classical musical luminaries James Conlon (music director of L.A. Opera) and internationally renowned conductor Leonard Slatkin.

Arnold Schoenberg’s twelve-tone system was considered the future of music itself. Today, however, leading orchestras rarely play his works, and his name is met with apathy if not antipathy. Mr. Sachs restores Schoenberg to his rightful place in the canon, revealing him as one of the twentieth century’s most influential composers and teachers. Learn more about Harvey Sachs’ published works through his official website.