Description
Georg Tintner is best known to music lovers for his stunning interpretations of Bruckner's symphonies recorded by Naxos in the 1990s. He was a man who lived and breathed music. Blessed with perfect pitch, at the age of nine he was the first Jew to join the Vienna Boys' Choir. Later, he became immersed in the concert life of the city, rubbing shoulders with Berg, Schoenberg, and Webern, and observing the great conductors of the age. But by the late 1930s Tintner had to flee and he eventually landed in Auckland, New Zealand. There could have been no greater contrast for this gifted young musician, yet he started a new life there before moving on to Australia and, much later, to Canada.
Tintner's third wife and widow, Tanya, has documented the life of this uncompromising man and the result is a revealing window on to the artistic temperament from the person closest to him. Out of Time is a must-read for everyone who believes in the discipline that excellence in the arts demands – and the pure joy it can bring.
Awards
- Short-listed, One of the 100 Best Books of 2011 cited by New Zealand Listener 2011
Reviews
A brilliant new biography.
- Benjamin Ivry, Jewish Daily Forward (USA), 2012 December
It is an extraordinary life story that is told here. At times it leaves you seething with anger that such a talent should be wilfully ignored by bureaucrats and mediocrities, pompous little people with prejudices, who had the power to deny opportunities to an artist of such integrity and stature as Tintner; and at times exasperated with Tintner himself whose unbending commitment to often somewhat outlandish eccentricities and principles made him an unattractive candidate for inclusion in the conservative circles of the musical establishment of the post-war antipodean British Commonwealth.... The description of how these [Naxos Bruckner] recordings came about, and the varying circumstances under which they were made, provides an essential adjunct to the performances themselves, adding a dimension that increases their power and profundity. And when you add to this the life-history that led up to them, the greatness of this Bruckner conductor that shines through every performance acquires a back-story that helps to account for and magnify its stature. There is much in this book that is not about Bruckner. There are many valuable observations on the art of conducting—and many extraordinary stories of what following that profession can demand....And there is much in this book that is not about music, or at least not music alone. There are trenchant observations of and on anti-semitism ... on veganism, on friendship, betrayals and mistresses—and on wives and music.... After his death Tanya Tintner spent several years trying to discover who it was she was married to for over 20 years, and what his life had been like before she knew him, conducting over 200 interviews and finally writing this extraordinary memoir.... As you cast your mind back over what you read, you can't help but smile at the absurdities, and then be humbled by the achievements and sheer courage, against all the vexations, of the primary characters of this compelling history.
- Ken Ward, Bruckner Journal, 2012 December
One of the finest biographies I've read ... I'm filled with admiration for the thoughtful job the author has done of it. Elegantly and compassionately written.
- Binnie Brennan, The Reluctant Blogger, 2012 December
In the late 1980s, Symphony Nova Scotia attracted an outstanding conductor who subsequently recorded definitive performances of the Bruckner symphonies. This fine biography of the conductor/composer, Georg Tintner, provides a thorough analysis of how yet another refugee from Nazism eventually ended up as a Canadian citizen who notably enriched our culture.
- Elaine Keillor, Carleton University, Canadian Association of Music Libraries Review, 41, no. 3, November 2013, 2013 December
In the late 1980s, Symphony Nova Scotia attracted an outstanding conductor who subsequently recorded definitive performances of the Bruckner symphonies. This fine biography of the conductor/composer, Georg Tintner, provides a thorough analysis of how yet another refugee from Nazism eventually ended up as a Canadian citizen who notably enriched our culture.
- Elaine Keillor, Carleton University, Canadian Association of Music Libraries Review, 41, no. 3, November 2013, 2013 December
A wonderful biography.
- Gillian Dooley, Adelaide Review, 2012 December
I cannot recommend [the book] highly enough ... a narrative that is a delight to read.
- Donald Clarke, author of the Penguin Encyclopedia of Modern Music, Donald Clarke's Music Box (blog), 2011 July
An extraordinarily compelling and moving book.... [Tintner's] writing style is clear, elegant and highly expressive.
- Alan Sanders, Classical Recordings Quarterly (UK), 2011 July
[This book is] an amazing achievement ... probably the first-ever realistic biography of an important artist.
- Klaus Heymann, Chair, Naxos Group of Companies, 2012 December
Scholarly in structure and irresistibly readable.
- Elizabeth Silsbury, Music Council of Australia Newsletter, 2011 August