A review by mollye1836
Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great in the Age of Enlightenment by James R. Gaines

5.0

This is a short but well written account of a fascinating moment in history, one of the best cultural history books I've ever read. It isn't so much about Bach and Frederick the Great meeting (their encounter, although very interesting, is brief in this book) but rather about two wildly different men and the different worlds they grew up in, so to speak: Bach, an intensely religious man devoted to his art, several years Frederick's senior; and Old Fritz, cynical, jaded even with the arts that he once loved, cunning and full of contempt for the religion of his native Prussia. Two fascinating personalities. I really recommend this. Gaines is incredibly witty and he explains music very well, at least for me, someone who hasn't studied music formally in several years. Yes, a new favorite for sure.