Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music

by Blair Tindall

Book Overview

In the tradition of Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential and Gelsey Kirkland's Dancing on My Grave, Mozart in the Jungle delves into the lives of the musicians and conductors who inhabit the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0871138905
• ISBN13: 9780871138903
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

candid, poignant, amusing, thought-provoking, a must-read.

About ten years ago, I watched a PBS nature program about a unique tribe of chimpanzees that besides eating plants, also hunts and eats monkeys. Monkey meat is rare and precious to the chimps. A chimp who manages to catch a monkey can't eat it all, and shares the meat with a few other chimps. The pattern of monkey meat distribution always follows a distinct pattern. Meat is given to relatives, political supporters and sexually available young females. All the other chimps get none. This pattern sounded awfully familiar... what did it remind me of? Jobs in freelance classical music, of course! The fact that Mozart in the Jungle provoked such passionate, articulate and conflicted reviews speaks volumes about its powerful effects on its readers. IMHO, the people who gave low ratings did so for questionable reasons (inductive logic, hurt feelings, personal issues, denial, etc.), unrelated to the quality of Tindall's writing. Winning a couple of orchestra auditions straight out of Juilliard spared me from having to live in the vipers' pit of freelancing described in the book, but I recognize it anyway. You can't make this stuff up. The narrative is captivating; I could hardly put the book down. Obviously, not all musicians live this way or have such extreme histories; you wouldn't want to read mine, for example, unless a soporific was indicated. This memoir is well worth reading; not for the juicy gossip but for the human story and the larger issues it touches upon.

Classical Musicians: Supply and Demand

Once you get past the titilating surface attraction, the sad message reads loud and clear: The supply of gifted and talented musicians is so much greater than the demand. We either need to find ways to increase the demand for "classical" music, or perhaps close lots of music schools for lack of future employment. Aside from the narration of her personal experiences, Ms. Tindall explores various components of the classical music business which support those experiences. 'Tis a sad and moving tale, but from my experience is all too true. Without more education of potential audiences for classical music so people understand what they are hearing (,,,like sports spectators can recognize the rules of the game, and the beauty of well-executed plays...)classical music will increasingly become marginalized. I am actively recommending this book to many of my colleagues in the arts biz.

Great book, but the author is too charitable

I attended both schools with Blair Tindall and witnessed much of what she described in this book. I can corroborate much that occured at both NCSA (North Carolina School of the Arts) and MSM (Manhattan School of Music). Her experience was not unique at all, but was the norm for students attending a performing arts high school (which also happened to have a college department where college students and teachers would prey on high school students, both female and male). My only criticism of this book is that she is actually TOO EASY on some of the teachers she mentions. Blair is actually quite charitable to them considering the appalling behavior we all endured on a day to day basis! She could have really raked them over the coals, but she chose to play nice, contrary to what some other reviewers have said. Blair must have suffered from having been a whistle-blower, but I applaud her bravery. It's also a really well-written book and I found it hard to put down.

Just what i I feared

I bought this book because several of my fellow musicians had recommended it. I could not put it down; I have a Master's in music performance and life has not been easy..even after almost 10 years of college education getting a full time job is practically impossible. This is a great book that will open your eyes and let you see the truth in the classical music business. Great for all those kids in High school who are considering going into a degree in Music. Read it and be your own judge.

Good controversy must make for a good book

It seems like a lot of the negative reviews come from people who have a personal dislike for the author, not for the book. Granted, this is a memoir, and the two are linked pretty well together, but the point is to review the book, not trash the author. Those who are complaining about Tindall dragging her colleagues through the muck are doing a good job at trashing Tindall. Whether or not you agree with her promiscuity, or even believe what she is writing about, she writes a good memoir. Maybe it would be better if it was fiction, but the book is worth reading.