Pianists on Playing: Interviews with Twelve Concert Pianists

by Linda J. Noyle

Overview

Twelve internationally-known keyboard artists entertainingly discuss their daily lives of practicing and performing in informative interviews, including reflections on learning new music, reviving repertoire, performing, controlling nerves, recording sessions, playing with ensemble groups, touring, playing in competitions, and the future of the piano. The pianists interviewed include: Vladimir Ashkenazy, Jorge Bolet, John Browning, Bella Davidovich, Misha Dichter, Janina Fialkowska, Rudolf Firkusny, Leon Fleisher, Andre-Michel Schub, Abbey Simon, Ralph Votapek, and Andre Watts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810838895
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	10/04/2000
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	187
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.58(d)

About the Author

Linda Noyle is a life-long music aficionado, began piano studies privately at the age of eight and continued at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago.

Editorial Reviews

...herein lies the main value of this book: as a compendium of technical and musical approaches from pianists who represent many different cuts of cloth...more insight is packed into this little book than most fatter volumes can offer.

Clavier

...of value to any music student, but especially so to pianists and performers, or to anyone interested in the interpretation of music.

Academic Library Book Review

This book should be the beginning of more interviews with pianists.

Sonneck Society Bulletin

...very enjoyable...in many instances it casts a new light on matters pianistic.

American Music Teacher

This book should be the beginning of more interviews with pianists.--Sonneck Society Bulletin

...of value to any music student, but especially so to pianists and performers, or to anyone interested in the interpretation of music.--Academic Library Book Review

...herein lies the main value of this book: as a compendium of technical and musical approaches from pianists who represent many different cuts of cloth...more insight is packed into this little book than most fatter volumes can offer.--Clavier

From the Publisher

The 12 keyboard artists interviewed for this project responded to specific questions on aspects of their professional livespractice habits, memorizing, using a metronome, handling nervousness, and so on. Under these broad headings, each artist expounds freely, often straying from the immediate topic. The result is a rambling and diffuse collection of individual thoughts, sometimes interesting because the artists themselves interest us, but generally unenlightening and of little practical use. The clearest impression, in fact, is that these artist find it very difficult to articulate their methods. As Jorge Bolet sums it up: ``Practice is a very personal matter.'' Few meaningful generalities can be drawn from this compilation of individual ideas. Susan Kagan, Music Dept., Hunter Coll., CUNY

Library Journal