Great Pianists on Piano Playing: Godowsky, Hofmann, Lhevinne, Paderewski and 24 Other Legendary Performers

By James Francis Cooke

Book Overview

Learning from a virtuoso is something that any piano student would love to do. But while master classes are rare, this remarkable book allows us to share the thoughts, musical insights, and experience of the world's greatest pianists.
In 28 separate interviews, these legendary artists talk about piano technique, musical development, what is required to achieve virtuoso piano artistry, and many other topics related to keyboard performance. Included are Busoni's "Important Details in Piano Study," Rachmaninoff's "Essentials of Artistic Playing," Paderewski's "Breadth in Musical Art," Grainger's "Modernism in Pianoforte Study," as well as fascinating perceptions and commentary from Bachaus, Carre o, Gabrilowitsch, Godowsky, Hofmann, Lh vinne, Scharwenka, and other masters.
Containing a wealth of information and practical advice, including biographical sketches of each musician, Great Pianists on Piano Playing is a one-of-a-kind collection that piano students, teachers, and any music lover will treasure.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486408450
• ISBN13: 9780486408453
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

An Inspiring Kaleidoscope Of Musical Insight!

Accomplished pianists and those aspiring to become one all dream about how wonderful it would have been to study with or to have heard the legendary composers perform their own music. Unfortunately this can only be a dream, however, we do have access to performances given by the greatest virtuosos who indeed worked with their contemporaries. This book, 'Great Pianists On Piano Playing' offers invaluable insight to the thought process used by various artists to make their own performances unique, musically innate and stylistically enhancing such as Teresa Carreno finds great inspiration in Shakespeare, inspiration that was communicated in her interpretations of musical masterpieces. The various interviews with legendary virtuosos offer magnificent findings on how they decide to approach a composition, shape a phrase, choose a tempo, develop touch, how to concentrate and so much more. The bringing together of such pianists as Godowsky, Hofmann, Lhevinne, Paderewski and many others by James Francis Cooke is an ideal source of information and reference for all performers and especially students looking for what lies behind a virtuoso's success such as musical mother in the case of Emil Sauer or behind the notes where magical interpretations are truly created. Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus. A.Mus. L.R.S.M. Licentiate(honorary)

insightful

If you play the piano with a passion, read this book. It gives many insights into how pianists from the golden age of pianism gave life to music on the keyboard. Hofman, Rubinstein, Paderewski,Sauer, Busoni, Bauer, Godowsky are just some of the greats. You can gauge for yourself how piano playing is expressed in terms of an art and a science. Not just body but mind too. Advice like not over-reliance on the metronome. Use your musical ear. You would have to read the book a couple of times before you find some common threads. They sure are golden threads to spin your music. Enjoy.