Foreword -- Colonial the Barbarian -- Eine Kleine Mozart -- Unashamed Accompanists -- Can't Sing? Can't Play? Make a Record! -- The Man with the Big Appetite -- Everyone's a Critic -- 567 Symphnies, at Least -- So You Want to be a Conductor -- The Frenchman, the General and the Sound of Muzak -- Four Seasons in One Day -- Everybody Wants to Get Into the Act -- Life Wasn't Meant to be Easy -- Tournedos Rossini -- Master of the G String -- The Colourful Life of Mr Green -- I an Woman, Hear Me Play -- What's the Score? -- Wagner and the Wedding Ring Cycle -- The Tragic Life of the Tortured Artist -- What Should a Composer Compose? -- The Magic of Music -- Bibliography.
"From Paganini to Piaf, Bach to the Beatles, The Music Explorer is a journey through music of all kinds - and the rich cast of characters dedicated to writing and performing it. Guy Noble has written a wonderfully entertaining and informative miscellany of pieces featuring conductors, accompanists, singers, recording producers, broadcasters, pop groups and violinists (though not saxophonists, except on the cover). A special feature is a series of interviews with composers who have graciously returned from the afterlife to be interviewed about the trips and tribulations they suffered during their lifetimes." -- Book cover.