Anthony Tommasini Books

The biography explores the life of a prominent figure in twentieth-century American music and criticism, detailing his journey from a conflicted youth in Kansas City to a significant presence in the arts. It highlights his struggles with his sexuality, military service in World War I, and influential studies in Paris. The narrative emphasizes his collaboration with Gertrude Stein on the groundbreaking opera Four Saints in Three Acts and his impactful role as chief music critic for the New York Herald Tribune, showcasing his sharp insights and lasting influence on music criticism.

An exploration of the question of greatness from the chief classical music critic of The New York Times Anthony Tommasini has devoted particular attention to living composers and overlooked repertory. But, as with all classical music lovers, the canon has remained central for him. Tommasini resists the neat laws of canon formation—and yet, he can’t help but admit that these exalted composers have guided him through his life, resonating with his deepest emotions and profoundly shaping how he sees the world. Now, in The Indispensable Composers, Tommasini offers his own personal guide to what the mercurial concept of greatness really means in classical music. As he argues for his particular pantheon of indispensable composers, Tommasini provides a masterclass in what to listen for and how to understand what music does to us.