Many ideas are developed in the course of this musical pilgrimage, and sometimes the subsidiary themes are so gripping that they threaten to eclipse the main subject. In Play It Again Alan Rusbridger, an amateur pianist who already has an unbelievably busy professional life as editor of The Guardian, sets out to master Chopin’s Ballade in G minor. 

Reading music is not an essential requirement for enjoying this book, but getting to know the Ballade will make Play It Again infinitely more rewarding. A revolutionary piece of piano writing, it is widely available on the Internet, and the printed score in the back of the book will act