A powerful and thought provoking memoir from one of the world's most successful orchestral conductors, whose life story, talent and dedication to music is an inspiration to read. A tragic car accident when Welser-Moest was a student shaped both his career and approach to music in the most profound and unexpected way. This book offers an insider's view of the complex relationships between an opera house, its orchestra, the conductor and singers, and the creative struggle by all these parts to achieve perfection in every performance.