Thanks
James,
Karlhenning and
Sanantonio for your comments!

I do read music, but cannot, for example, quote sections of Schoenberg's
Harmonielehre (if that is the kind of knowledge that is required

)
My personal library includes almost everything that has been published by or on Boulez, several tomes on Stockhausen, Elliott Carter, Stravinsky, etc. , but I am not a professional musician by any means... Some of the books are very accessible to me, and some way beyond my reach

. In any case, I'm more interested in the
historical aspects of this music, than in the
theoretical and
technical side of things (a stance that reflects my limited--but not complete absence of--musical training).
My objection with the (apparent) tone of the Maconie book is what could appear to be (always based on the abstract and reviews) a banalization of Stravinsky's art. I really can't understand why our dear Igor Feodorovich would be a better (or worse) composer, or a more interesting figure, because, e.g. he "did work closely with Disney on Fantasia and spent years in Hollywood".