If one were ever inclined to tote up the pandemic lockdown’s silver linings, Perfect Pitch would easily make the list. Tim Bouverie, the acclaimed historian and author of Appeasement: Chamberlain, Hitler, Churchill, and the Road to War, found his access to archives curtailed over the past year. So, to bring a bit of joy to himself and his friends, he began firing off sprightly missives about his favorite pieces of classical music.
This delightful compendium now allows you to be in on his distribution list, and the subtitle splendidly captures the book’s spirit. Bouverie recommends a favored recording for each piece, which is where the debates are likely to begin (Carmen sung by Berganza and not by Price or Callas!), but there is no quibbling about the pleasure of Bouverie’s prose.
