The Devil's Music Master: The Controversial Life and Career of Wilhelm Furtwangler

Despite the catchpenny title, based on the fact that the German conductor (1886-1954) remained in his country throughout WW II and thereafter was accused of being a collaborator, this is a solid, judicious and thoroughly researched work. Shirakawa, identified only as ``a writer and filmmaker,'' displays a profound understanding of music, and his book has clearly been a labor of love. He comes out foursquare for Furtwangler--``perhaps the greatest conductor this century has produced''--and musters much evidence to show that while his decision to stay in Nazi Germany, adding cultural luster to the Reich, was probably misguided, it was inevitable given Furtwangler's pride, stubbornness and conviction that he could salvage something from the ruins. It seems indisputable that he saved many Jewish musicians and other professionals, including some he had no reason to admire, and that he was instrumental in preserving the Berlin Philharmonic, only to have it taken away from him later by a real opportunist (and party member), Herbert von Karajan. Shirakawa's discussion of all this is admirably clear-headed, and the chapters devoted to the conductor's experiences in the U.S., and to his legacy on disc, are invaluable. Photos. (June)