“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)

“A wonderful biography.”

— Gillian Dooley, Adelaide Review

“An important book ... an invaluable book that can be recommended to music lovers just as highly as the conductor’s Bruckner recordings on Naxos, which received outstanding reviews ... all over the world.”

— Rémy Franck, Pizzicato (Luxembourg)

“A remarkable, well-written and frank book.”

— Shirley de Kock Gueller, Cape Times (South Africa)

“This book ... has been immaculately put together, fully illustrated, footnoted, indexed and deftly written with a candour that usually eludes family members who tackle biographies. Tanya Tintner’s long experience as a writer and deep understanding of her fascinating subject is evident on every absorbing page.”

— Peter Shaw, New Zealand Listener

“A brilliant new biography.”

— Benjamin Ivry, Jewish Daily Forward (USA)

“Vivid, compulsively readable.”

— Neville Cohn, West Australian

“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

“I was completely absorbed reading your life of Georg Tintner, Out of Time. I wanted to write and let you know how much I enjoyed and valued it. It is in my view not just an extraordinary story, but also a very significant literary achievement. The research is profound, and your reconstruction of his European youth is truly astonishing.... But equally impressive is the tone: for a spouse to find the right voice to deal with a husband’s life is rare indeed—often such works are a disaster. Indeed, I confess to being apprehensive when I opened the book. But I was immediately engrossed: you have dealt with Georg’s professional life with authority, balance, and enormous insight, his personal weaknesss and idiosyncrasies handled unsparingly and equitably, even where they are unflattering for him and include the most intimate details of your own time with him. The world of musical scholarship is the better for this work—I was hugely impressed.”

— Professor Warren Bebbington, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Adelaide

“Buy and read this wonderful book.”

— Patrick Lam, Orchestras Canada

“An extraordinarily compelling and moving book.... [Tintner’s] writing style is clear, elegant and highly expressive.”

— Alan Sanders, Classical Recordings Quarterly (UK)

“Scholarly in structure and irresistibly readable.”

— Elizabeth Silsbury, Music Council of Australia Newsletter

“[This book is] an amazing achievement ... probably the first-ever realistic biography of an important artist.”

— Klaus Heymann, Chair, Naxos Group of Companies

“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