Taking the listener inside the labyrinth of modern sound, the music critic for The New Yorker presents a history of the 20th century through its music. Hear about maverick personalities who have resisted the cult of the classical past, struggled against the indifference of a wide public, and defied the will of dictators. National Book Award winner. "[A] feat of orchestration."—The New York Times, naming this one of the Notable books of the year