My First 79 Years

Rating:
Summary: The book's a joy!
Review: With the exception of Yehudi Menuhin, it's best to approach the autobiographical excursions of great musical artists with more than a little skepticism. How many disappointments have flown into the meadow by that route! This engaging effort by Isaac Stern is therefore a more than little delight, filled with the characteristically notable voice of one of the authentic humanists of the 20th century, not to mention one of the great fiddlers of all time. Stern's writing is great deal like his playing; verve and confidence riding the high clouds with surety and an unmistakably personal passion. I often thought, while reading this book, how no one in my experience plays Kreisler's 'Schon Rosmarin' like Stern -for all the salon qualities of the piece, it has a heart of pure gold- and this book resembles that little encore nugget in more than a few ways: true, one wishes at times that Stern would simply go on with his thought, go on with the memory at hand, even with the discussion at hand; yet in many ways he keeps up the flavor of his reminiscences by the succinctness, and at times almost the distractedness, of his writing/speaking style. I would argue that in fact he does give us quite a bit of his way of looking at not only his own life, but the wonder called the human experience, it's just that with this man one simply wants the conversation to go on and on. Even when speaking of his children (which he does often, even including charming transcriptions of little tape recordings of Daddyspeak for his wife and children when he was so often away on tour), Stern's power to captivate arises full from his honesty, indeed one of the great attributes of his music making. Chaim Potok's hand in the affair seems somehow deep under, and therefore probably pervasive and beautifully wise (as is every Chaim Potok effort!), leaving Stern's voice alive and vibrant, humanly awkward at times, and always surprising in its direct power- very much like the playing of this most gifted of musicians. Despite the obvious limitations that will always attend a book like this, it remains a delight, charming if not all revealing, even moving. Lovers of music won't be disappointed!