The book provides an incredible value for those interested in artistic developments in Paris, under Diagilev's "Ballets Russes" leadership. I was impressed by the broadness of Stravinsky's thinking, by his incredible intellect and by his constant quest to explore the new - the ultimate attribute of creativity. The book is full of interesting memories on many famous people.

No student or lover of Stravinsky's music should be without this book. It is a rare opportunity to see into his thought processes, and it makes one realise just how much music meant to him- that he sought to serve it by understanding it as deeply as he could.

In communicating this understanding, Stravinsky makes for an engaging, if somewhat challenging, read. The book is a transcript of six lectures given by the composer to French students, and the translators have seen fit to cast his words into a large quantity of "verbal Victoriana." If at times it seems boring, it is all due to that style of language. Apart from that, it is an excellent account on the part of a man who (for all his known self-contradictions) clearly used his heart as well as his hands and his head.

For students of Stravinsky, this book is essential. As a record of his personality and thought processes, it takes some beating.

This is an interesting book, especially during his discussions of his music and compositional aesthetic. I also found enlightening his opinions of Wagner and Berlioz (not good), and his chapter on the typology of music.

Stravinsky was an engaging writer and thinker as well as a great composer. Here he discusses aesthetics and defends his music. (I also recommend PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns.)