Deep into the 20th century, classical music retained its cultural relevance, and it was intertwined with momentous international events. Exposing the politics behind the music, Jonathan Rosenberg shows how in World War II, Shostakovich's music was used to strengthen the US-Soviet alliance, yet during the Cold War, accusations of communism were leveled against members of the American music community. The cast of this "richly detailed and freshly illuminating" survey (Kirkus Reviews) includes such legends as Arturo Toscanini, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Kirsten Flagstad, Aaron Copland, Van Cliburn, and Leonard Bernstein.