Gustav Mahler and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra Tour America. By Mary H. Wagner. New York: Scarecrow Press, 2006. ISBN-13: 9780810852709. Paper. 272 pp. $50.00.

What was it like, at the turn of the twentieth century, for the accomplished Central european conductor formerly of the Habsburg Court Opera to pack a 100- member orchestra on the New York Central and perform in Pittsburgh, Buffalo, or Cleveland—brash new cities, vibrant with industry and innovative architecture, but hardly renowned for musical culture? Such trips became a normal part of Gustav Mahler's American career before cardiac illness cut short his energies and, in time, his life.