Who Knew? from Robert A. Cutietta is a wonderful resource for both the seasoned classical music fan and the listener new to the genre. Based on a long-running radio show where he answers questions submitted to him, this book manages to be thorough and engaging at the same time.

I fall some place in the middle of that spectrum of classical listeners and also probably ranks classical as my fourth or fifth favorite genre, so this book serves to fill in a lot of gaps in my knowledge. I have been surprised that some of the answers have made me think about other genres, in particular bands and musicians I have known, and how similar some of the hidden rules and regs seem to be. Though without the history and tradition of classical music.

In addition to helping make better informed listeners the book also brings a new appreciation to all aspects of classical music as both music and as a performance/entertainment business in the 21st century. Quite a lot goes into every single performance and so often the listener just thinks about that brief interlude of the performance itself.

I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in classical music at any level. I also think people involved with other types of music will enjoy this and gain a new appreciation for the music and performance of classical music.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )