An enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining compendium of the author's informal conversations with contemporary composers, dating from the mid-1980's. Dufallo is extremely familiar with the works and lives of all those interviewed, endeavors to understand the composers on their own terms, and is keenly interested in their responses.

Unfortunately, the quality of the interviews is scattershot: many of the conversations took place in odd moments during festivals, an hour prior to world premieres, in hotel rooms, etc. etc. At times you sense that the interviewer and/or his subject were terribly jet-lagged.

Still, for anyone interested in hearing some of the most brilliant postwar composers speak about their lives, works, and contemporaries, TRACKINGS is certainly worthwhile. Boulez, Cage, Copland, Ligeti, Lutoslawski, Penderecki, Stockhausen, Xenakis: more than two dozen extraordinary, dissonant voices in total. Enjoy!