Music brings pleasure: Nikolaus Harnoncourt reflects persuasively and passionately on his metier. His texts, speeches and interviews reveal the vision of a great artist, looking back on his own influence and far beyond into musical history. He addresses subjects such as the urgency of art, Haydn, and “a crocodile called Mozart”, and considers romantic insight and baroque reminiscence. He gazes into the depths of an immoral world and shares anecdotes from the Vienna Music Society. He explains why artists cannot lie, why The Magic Flute remains an eternal mystery, and why great art ultimately arises from doubt.

The art form of opera is more than 400 years old, but it has maged to stay young and fresh thanks to artists such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt and his unfailing endeavor to continuously renew this art form and our understanding of it. His 80th birthday serves as the perfect opportunity to revisit his life in the colorful world of opera. Numerous examples, from Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo“ and Mozart’s “Figaro“ to Stravinsky’s “The Rake’s Progress“ illustrate how vivid and lively opera can be. Opera is a theater for all senses, not a dusty relic from the past, a hallow traditon or elitist vanity fair. Text, music, drama and an image of the world portrayed on stage all come together in the unique cosmos of opera, with the purpose of reflecting our human nature. And thus opera is a necessity, like all forms of art. This is what Nikolaus Harnoncourt demonstrates once more with great passion, intelligence and conviction in this enthralling book.

Authors like Andrea Maria Dusl, Julia Franck, Christine Kaufmann, Ruth Klüger, Eva Menasse, Ingrid Noll, Lilo Wanders as well as numerous other cat lovers from German-speaking countries can’t all be wrong: Cats are not only the most literary of all animals, they also have unmistakably unique characters. They are unrivaled as purring heating pads, imaginative jokers and compassionate housemates. Their taste is incorruptible, whether they are dealing with cat food, new family members, dogs, new lovers or potential husbands. Ruth Rybarski has collected 30 as of yet unpublished love declarations to cats. A must for all cat lovers and all those who are thinking of becoming one.