Rimsky's "MY MUSICAL LIFE"

[Wallingford]

A book I've intended to read all my life, never got around to it till about half a year ago, when I picked up a library-discard copy for just a buck.

I finally, officially embarked on reading it these last two weeks, and while it's tedious to read (as the editor says in the preface, Rimsky-Korsakov made no attempt at readability, though he DOES state all the facts). Anyway, I found it a revelation that this all-time orchestral genius had to grapple, grope & grasp his way thru compositional technique during his young-adult years of study with Balakirev--a man who proved an inspiration, but could also be flighty, condescending and (let's face it) a man who had a very ROUNDABOUT approach to pedagogy.

But let's face it: it's quite literally IMPOSSIBLE to find someone who's adept at compositional pedagogy; and this is what makes Rimsky-Korsakov's biography so endearing.

Has anyone else tackled this tome?

[Lance]

I thought I had it—I recognized the title—and did a search for the book in my computerized catalogue and came up with Walter Damrosch's book My Musical Life. So I don't have it, but think I would enjoy reading it. When you finish, I would be curious to know what you think of it generally.