Book review

摘要

David Cairns is best known as the author of a massive and comprehensive two volume biography of Berlioz, which won the Whitbread Biography Award. For many years he was the chief music critic of the Sunday Times, and is also the most readable translator of Berlioz's memoirs. As he himself remarks in his preface to his latest book, ‘Another book on Mozart and his operas may not be needed. I can only say that I needed to write it …’ For the reader, therefore, the question is whether he or she needs to read it.