Person
Every book David Robertson recommended on podcasts
Key facts
- David Robertson has recommended or discussed 4 books on podcasts, as of July 9, 2025.
- David Robertson has talked about books on 1 podcast, as of July 9, 2025.
- Those books came up in 1 episode, as of July 9, 2025.
- The 3 books David Robertson has mentioned in the most episodes, as of July 9, 2025: After Babel, Metaphors We Live By and The Classical Style.
- The latest episode with a book mention from David Robertson aired on July 9, 2025.
Updated
David Robertson appears on podcast episodes as a distinguished classical conductor and music educator who integrates rigorous interdisciplinary reading lists into his academic curriculum at Juilliard. During his conversation on Conversations with Tyler, Robertson outlined several foundational texts that he strictly requires his conducting students to master. He explained that he makes his students read Charles Rosen's The Classical Style to ground their musical interpretation. To teach students about the intricate process of translating concepts from one domain or language to another, Robertson assigns George Steiner's After Babel. Furthermore, he incorporates George Lakoff and Mark Johnson's Metaphors We Live By into his teaching to encourage young musicians to examine the underlying language and communicative metaphors they casually employ. Robertson also noted that he recommends Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow to his students to deepen their cognitive awareness. Through these recommendations, Robertson presents as a demanding educator who believes that exceptional musical leadership requires a broad intellectual foundation encompassing linguistics, cognitive psychology, and cultural history.
Books recommended by David Robertson
-
After Babel
After Babel by George Steiner is a profound critical study of language, meaning, and translation that argues all human communication and acts of interpretation fundamentally function as acts of translation.
Recommended“I assume that they have a favorite orchestration book, but for the class I make them read um all of I'm afraid um George Steiner's After Babel, which is about translation and the whole the whole process of taking something from one situation, in this case one language, into another language, what you can carry across and what gets uh”
Where to get it
-
Metaphors We Live By
Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson is an influential academic text that investigates how everyday human thought and language are fundamentally shaped by conceptual metaphors.
Recommended“And then they make them read um uh the words we use of Jackson and Malof um because you know the metaphors we live by because that's one where we tend to speak and we haven't ever necessarily looked at the language we're using and what it what it communicates.”
Where to get it
-
The Classical Style
The Classical Style by Charles Rosen is a landmark critical history examining the musical idioms of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven and defining the aesthetic architecture of the classical era.
Recommended“So I'm a real hardass at Giuliard. And I make my students I assume that they've all read Charles Rosen's The Classical Style.”
Where to get it
-
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman is a landmark exploration of behavioral psychology that examines the two systems of thought that drive human judgment and decision-making.
Recommended“I make them read uh someone that you've had on the uh podcast before, Daniel Conan, drinking fast and slow.”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Robertson on Conducting, Pierre Boulez, and Musical Interpretation | Conversations with Tyler | 2025-07-09 | 4 |