While the utility of this guide to conducting eight of the most important orchestral works of the 20th century will be obvious to emerging and established conductors, it may be less so to the general listener. Yet, while a perfectionist, the great American conductor and educator Leonard Slatkin is no elitist.

As he writes, “The essays in this book are intended for those who are considering entering the conducting profession or are already on that path. At the same time, I hope that my insights into how a maestro learns the score and the techniques used to get the desired results might also be of interest to the general music lover or orchestral musician. If you have a little musical knowledge, most of what is contained in these pages will be understandable.”

That they are of such interest to the general music lover is due, in no small part, to Slatkin’s breezy prose, clear, unfussy analyses, historical contextualisation and practical tips and tricks. Sometimes he almost squeezes all this into one sentence. To take just one example: “La Mer is all about the sound world, and therefore it is important to study the visual art of this...