The Art of the Piano: Its Performers, Literature, and Recordings Revised and Expanded Edition | 
 enlarge | Author: David Dubal
Publisher: Amadeus Press
Category: Book
List Price: $34.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 78442
Media: Paperback
Edition: 3
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 696
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 7 x 1.7
ISBN: 1574670883
Dewey Decimal Number: 786.2
UPC: 073999753929
EAN: 9781574670882
ASIN: 1574670883
Publication Date: April 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
This is the only complete and up-to-date book profiling every major pianist (thousands) and their essential repertoire and recordings. This third edition is completely revised (second edition: 1995 Harvest Books, ISBN# 0-15-600019-9), with hundreds more entries and updated information about existing entries. The book contains a CD for the first time featuring rare performances. "For all those interested in the piano, this book will provide great insight and knowledge. It must be read by everyone who loves the instrument." - Vladimir Horowitz "The Art of the Piano is the best companion a piano aficionado could ask for." - Baltimore Sun
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| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
 A sloppy mess August 12, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I find it interesting that none of the reviews already posted seem to be aware of the atrocious level of misspellings, typos, factual errors, omissions, and generally dismal production values of this book. Here are some examples: for misspellings, we have "Jorge Rolet" (for Bolet), "Emil Saver" (for Sauer), "Casadesis" (for Casadesus), "Cyziffra" (for Cziffra), "Rachmanimoff," Carlo Maria "Giuliani" (for Giulini), Sergio "Fiorento" (for Fiorentino), "Firku_n_y" (for Firkusny), "rhaphsodies," "allimand", Liszt's "Funeralilles", "Leschetizsky" (for Leschetizky), "Fienberg" (for Feinberg), "Relich" (for Pogorelich) and so on and on. CD labels fare no better: "Marsten" (for Marston), "Arbitor" (for Arbiter, not to forget "OUCH Arbitor" on page 591), "Stradivarious", et cetera.
Factual errors on the part of Dubal: Sauer did not record Chopin's B Minor Sonata. Egon Petri did not record Busoni's Toccata. Glenn Gould's last recital was not in Chicago in March 1964, but in Los Angeles the following month. Gould recorded 22, not 18, Beethoven Sonatas. Wanda Landowska was born in 1879, not 1877. Kathleen Dale, not Kathleen Long, is author of "Nineteenth-Century Piano Music." Shostakovich did not dedicate his Preludes and Fugues to Nikolayeva, nor did he record all 24 of them. Adam Harasiewicz did not record the complete works of Chopin. Persichetti wrote 12, not 11, piano sonatas. Liebermann's "Gargoyles" consist of four, not three, pieces. Rachmaninoff recorded seven, not "49," takes of his Midsummer Night's Dream Scherzo transcription. There is no Richter recording of Prokofiev's Sonata No.3 (he never played the piece). Rubinstein did not record Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No.3. Louis Kentner did not play all the Beethoven sonatas at his U.S. debut; he played them here four years later. Shall I go on?
The book omits, without explanation, all piano four-hand and two-piano music as well as chamber music involving the piano. Those seeking information on this repertoire will be out of luck. Dubal lists timings for the Beethoven sonatas, but not say whose timings, or explain why these are the only works thus treated. He may provide descriptions of Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues, but he provides no specific listings for the French Suites, English Suites, or Partitas, nor for any of the dozens of Haydn Sonatas. He ignores the piano works of Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn. Only one of Mozart's 17 variation sets is listed. He omits Couperin and Rameau, believing incorrectly that their keyboard works are "seldom played or recorded" by pianists.
Dubal's listings of recordings, quite apart from questionable inclusions and omissions, also swarm with inaccuracies such as incorrect record labels and ambiguous CD or LP availability.
Omissions in the section devoted to pianists are numerous. If you are looking for information concerning Joseph Villa, Werner Haas, Seta Tanyel, Gilbert Kalish, Piers Lane, Geoffrey Tozer, Germaine Thyssens-Valentin, Konstantin Scherbakov or Steven Osborne--all of whom are represented on many current CDs--you'll find nothing here.
Dubal's own amateurish sketches of some 53 pianists and composers, in place of actual photographs, are hideous in the extreme and should not have even been considered for inclusion.
Apparently neither the author nor anyone else connected to the book's production had either the expertise or the concern to insure a minimal standard of fact-checking or typographical accuracy. The sheer quantity of blunders eliminates any credibility the book might have for reference purposes. All concerned should be ashamed.
Donald Manildi
 Comprehensive history of piano playing July 3, 2008
A great book covering the history of piano playing by the great and near great. Altogether, a truly enjoyable book for those who love piano music and the pianists who have played it.
Not much art in criticism May 2, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Art is an expression of the human spirit, a search for meaning, an interpretation of humanity, an adventure into transcendence, an insight into the mysteries of life, a deep personal reflection on life, a mystical experience, a valuable addition to universal culture - hopefully, a sublime and humbling human endeavour.
The same goes for just about every form of artistic expression, be it creative or re-creative. We recognize value in the work of an artist because we admire their personal, insightful interpretation of being human, and because of their individuality, peculiarity, uniqueness of expression.
Hence, I believe the art of piano and the art of pianists, for that matter, should be all of the above as expressed by means of this particular musical instrument, especially so where renown, life-long, devoted pianists are concerned. By virtue of their enduring dedication, their interpretations of compositions and composers become authoritative and consequently demand attention, interest and effort. Furthermore, the values prevailing in the historical period of the composition, not necessarily the current values of instant gratification, should also be of the essence to appreciate a pianist's interpretation.
As authoritative interpreters of piano literature will put it, the art of interpreting is not just about playing the piano or "just being a piano player", to recall a specific quote. Such outstanding pianists should be appreciated in their own terms, within their own holistic conception of the music world, and preferably never compared with other pianists and certainly never against preconceived standards or tastes.
Yet often (luckily not always) music critics tend to assess features of musicians' specific performances rather than the insights of their interpretations of works, to the extent to which these features conform to, or deviate from, preconceived norms, expectations or trends - ie. the prescribed ways music should be played these days in the minds of critics.
This interference introduces completely unnecessary alien distortions in the notion of a work of art. Music lovers will be well advised to avoid this interference altogether by ignoring critics completely and simply listening to the music making instead. Or simply going and finding the artists' own words in their published writings and transcribed interviews.
I wish a generation of music critics was born who went about their business describing the uniqueness and added value of outstanding musicians' contributions to universal art, appreciating the outcome of their highest devotion in life, rather than the mechanics of whether they adjust to the critic's preconceived styles, measurements and preferences.
Despite its numerous excellent bits and pieces, I am afraid The Art of Piano, by David Dubal, is rather a typical example of a piece of critique which, in the final analysis, sets about measuring the extent to which pianists fulfill the writer's preferred patterns of how in his mind musical masterworks should be rendered, thus the critic becoming the authority in music.
The lists of recommended recordings of particular compositions, which form a large section of this book, also seem to follow at times the same whimsical "wish list" approach, with due respect and reverence to the outstanding artists involved.
The whole project seems to me a great pity. If I disagree with the overall approach taken and some of the boldest statements made about pianists I know and deeply care about - How can I rely on what is being said about other pianists in this book?
For long now there has been a pressing need for more music critics able to appreciate the positive contributions to music, to the arts and to the human spirit made by outstanding musicians whose talents the world has come to recognize as monuments to the human spirit.
Is musician-making or otherwise the unavoidable fate of a music critic? Can a music critic do better than this for the sake of the art of music?
 Way too much detail on very obscure pianists from a century ago! July 19, 2007
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
and although Mr. Dubal is a recognized scholar of some repute, that talent does not include pencil drawings. His drawings of performers and composers are embarrasingly bad... and why did he think that Beethoven died with his wig on!?! That was a totally jarring drawing, but the overview of the great piano compositions are worth the price of the book.
An excellent reference for piano lovers January 9, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is a rich, passionately written, concise encyclopedia about great pianists and great piano composers. It includes brief but interesting biographical material, and astute critiques of the professional and creative apects of the artists lives. David Dubal absolutely loves music and has a profound, sensitive and clear understanding of it. The CD of classic recordings that is included in the back of this book is a fabulous compliment to a most useful guide and reference for all those who enjoy piano music.
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