An inside look behind the Iron Curtain of the Soviet musical establishment, this book tells the story of a gifted violinist, Dubinsky, who finds that his growing fame cannot compensate for the artistic compromises necessary for survival and success in the Soviet Union. The Borodin Quartet, founded by Dubinsky, had to struggle not only against official dissaproval during the Stalinist era but also against anti-Semitism. This story trces the history of the quartet from the days when they could find work only playing at funerals (including Stalin's) to their enormously successful tours in the West.