The Composer-Pianists: Hamelin and The Eight

by Robert Rimm

Overview

(Amadeus). In The Composer-Pianists: Hamelin and The Eight , Robert Rimm writes about eight legendary, enigmatic, and interrelated composer-pianists of the instrument's golden age and goes on to consider their present-day advocate and astounding interpreter Marc-Andre Hamelin, whose dynamic playing and engaging personality immediately impressed Rimm upon their first encounter. Rimm portrays The Eight (Alkan, Busoni, Feinberg, Godowsky, Medtner, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, and Sorabji) as the piano's aural sensualists and explores the relationships among their music, their music-making, their ideas, and their lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781574670721
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/01/2003
Series:	Amadeus
Pages:	342
Sales rank:	726,371
Product dimensions:	7.51(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.85(d)

About the Author

As a child, Robert Rimm found a collection of AlkanÆs sheet music and played several of his shorter pieces. This discovery began his journey of musical explorationùAlkan led to Busoni, who led to Godowsky, which unearthed a Rachmaninov connectionùin this way, over many years, Rimm gradually researched each of The Eight. In addition to undertaking this personal project, Rimm attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He later studied at the Main Line Conservatory of Music, working in-depth with musical theory, particularly exploring the combination of music and language. Today, Rimm combines the disciplines of music and language as educator, writer, pianist, lecturer and translator. He has written for _Piano & Keyboard_, _Fanfare_, _International Piano_, and Dover Publications, and provides program annotations for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and others. Among his forthcoming projects is a translation of Samuel Feinberg's _Pianism as Art_. He teaches at Chronos Studios in Philadelphia.Rimm is active in several organizations serving the blind community, and often performs benefit concerts for charitable groups. As one might expect, he is an avid record-collector and concert-goer. He also enjoys running and traveling. Robert Rimm resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Table of Contents

	Foreword	9
	Preface: Related Keys	11
1.	Alkan and Sorabji: Hermetic Genius	17
2.	Busoni and Godowsky: Revered and Reviled	47
3.	Feinberg and Scriabin: Humanity and Mysticism	85
4.	Medtner and Rachmaninov: Romantic Compatriots	116
5.	From Alkan to Hamelin	159
6.	The Pitfalls of Music Criticism	190
7.	The Liability of Virtuosity	207
8.	The Erotic Muse	221
9.	The Art of Transcription	233
10.	Toward the Future: The Piano, the Composer-Pianist, and The Eight	252
	Complete Solo Piano Works	259
	Discographies	294
	Notes	313
	Bibliography	326
	Index	335

Editorial Reviews

A piano teacher and annotator for piano music collections, Rimm here explores the lives and artistic contributions of eight late 19th- to mid-20th-century pianist-composers. He also includes interviews with and commentary on contemporary composer Marc-Andr Hamelin, a gifted interpreter of their works. Rimm deftly weaves together the lives and careers of the composers by discussing them in pairs, while also exploring their influences on each other. The artists range from familiar names (Sergei Rachmaninov) through some known more for writing difficult music than for being performed (Charles Alkan, Kaikhosru Sorabji), to at least one with very little resonance today (Samuel Feinberg). Rimm delves into musical criticism, virtuosity, the erotic muse, the art of transcription, and the future of the piano itself, and the whole work shows evidence of extensive research. Especially welcome are quotes from the artists themselves, contemporary critiques of performances or recordings, and archival photos. Musical examples would have helped to show the complexity of many of these creators' efforts, and a few patches of purple prose distract if only momentarily. A comprehensive list of works for solo piano (including transcriptions), a discography of recordings by the artists of their own or others' compositions, a wide-ranging bibliography, and index (not seen) round out this excellent addition to all music collections serving an informed clientele. Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Pianist and teacher Rimm discusses eight legendary, enigmatic, and interrelated composer-pianists who created music that stretched the limits of the piano's capabilities, and were also virtuosos whose technique could handle such demanding works. He describes Alkan, Busoni, Feinberg, Godowsky, Medtner, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, and Sorabji, and their music, music making, ideas, and lives, drawing on their own words for additional insight. He also includes Hamelin, a current top-flight composer-performer who recorded the music of The Eight. The book contains several b&w photographs, listings of the complete solo piano works of the composers, and discographies of their solo piano recordings. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews