Edward T Cone was one of the most important and influential music critics of the twentieth century. He was also a master lecturer skilled at conveying his ideas to broad audiences. This title collects fourteen essays that Cone gave as talks in his later years. It represents the final testament of one of our most important writers on music. "While eclectic in its subject matter, this invaluable collection of Cone's final essays offers a great deal to readers. Whether the essays arguably reflect autumnal or emerging ideas, Cone's astonishing clarity of exposition and openness, his intellectual reach, and continual self-reflexivity . . . almost make his writing seem timeless in its appeal for musicians and music scholars across the disciplinary spectrum."---David Trippett, Fontes Artis Musicae