Book Description
The author collects his reminiscences- and reactions stimulated by piano playing and piano music. So that his clavichord is well-tempered not only by his knowledge and feeling for its music, but also by his own association with many performers. He reestablishes Josef Hofmann as a great pianist and a greatly loved teacher; Rachmaninoff, the communicable and sumptuous melodist; Schnabel and Godowsky; the courtly Paderewski and the ebullient Rubinstein; Wanda Landowski and Backhaus, Gieseking and Serkin, Casadesus and Horowitz are all in this gallery of greats. He writes also of interpretation and teaching, of the ruthless stranglehold of concert management, of hi fidelity and its "high fatality" to the quality of recorded performances, and there is a substantial section of commentaries on particular works and composers- chiefly classical. Informed, but informally presented music appreciation which the general listener will enjoy- along with the contact with many concert pianists and the anecdotal asides.
