Lost in the Stars:
The Forgotten Musical Life of Alexander Siloti

By Charles F. Barber
The Scarecrow Press (Rowman & Littlefield)
ISBN: 0810841088,   455 pages,   31 photographs  
Retail: $49.95

The brilliant new book about the legendary pianist, conductor, composer and impresario which Richard Taruskin calls "a heroic rescue effort ... fascinating," and which Michael Steinberg praises as the work of a "scrupulous researcher, intelligent interpreter, and commanding storyteller."

This is a book which Evgeny Kissin "would recommend to everybody who loves music," Vladimir Ashkenazy calls "a wonderful contribution" and Sir Charles Mackerras deems "essential reading." Valery Gergiev adds, "If you want to understand music in St. Petersburg prior to 1917, read it."

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If you don't already know about Siloti ...

Consider a pianist who studied with Nikolai Rubinstein, Anton Rubinstein, Liszt, and Tchaikovsky, and performed with Nikisch, Monteux, Stokowski, Mengelberg, Weingartner, Leopold Auer, Glazunov, Richard Strauss, Toscanini, Casals, Ysaÿe, and Chaliapin.

Or a conductor who led concerts with Rachmaninoff, Pugno, Koussevitsky, Thibaud, Landowska, Scriabin, Hoffman, and Cortot, and introduced Diaghilev to Stravinsky.

Or an impresario who rescued Tchaikovsky’s Voyevoda from destruction, and gave world premieres of music by Scriabin, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev.

Or a man who was cousin to Rachmaninoff, brother-in-law to Lèon Bakst, and friend of Elgar, Grieg, Stanislavsky, Vroubel, Gorky, and Godowsky. And to whom Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky dedicated new music.

And consider one more thing:  all this describes just one man.

Lost in the Stars accounts for the work and legend of Alexander Siloti (1863-1945), and outlines in fascinating detail his role in the musical life of St Petersburg, his later career in New York, and why his name has largely dissolved in history. This book is an extraordinary guide to a galaxy of musical genius, and a man central to its multiple stars.