Review (PDF) Liszt - A Listener's Guide: Unlocking The Masters Series
(Unlocking the Masters). Composer, bon vivant, pianist, teacher, superstar showman, raconteur, writer, entrepreneur, ladies' man, philanthropist, and priest, Franz Liszt is widely viewed today not only as a great composer, but also as the greatest pianist of the 19th century. Yet his enormous body of piano music, by turns poetic, glittering, acrobatic, prophetic, profound, and haunting, failed to command the acclaim it deserved in his lifetime. In Liszt , John Bell Young takes a close look at this opulent music, illuminating its many facets and challenges from a pianist's engaged perspective. HIGHLIGHT * Never-before-released recordings of five extraordinary young pianists are included on an accompanying CD
Series: Unlocking the Masters (Book 18)
Paperback: 152 pages
Publisher: Amadeus Press; Pap/Com edition (May 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1574671707
ISBN-13: 978-1574671704
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,650,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #58 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Liszt #478 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Historical Period > Early Romantic #699 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Biographies > Classical
The author, a pianist and teacher, is very enthusiastic and opinionated about Liszt and his piano music and how it should NOT be treated. However, you would never know that Liszt wrote orchestral music too.He also tends to technical analysis - key changes, etc. It would have helped if these were keyed to the timing on the cd.The performances by Arrau are wonderful. But there is only one cd (other volumes in this series have two). Rather than devoting 30 minutes to the B minor sonata (wonderful as it is), I would have preferred a broader range of shorter pieces.A bit infuriating to read, but certainly whetted my appetite to learn more.
I wish I had noticed that it is only piano works. But still a good book and the service was great.
Thank you for compiling this book geared to the non-professional. This book does not pretend to be on a par with any of the Walker biographies, but it is a great introduction for those who want an overview of Liszt's extraordinary accomplishments as a performer, composer, humanitarian, and key figure in 19th century Romanticism. The recorded selections by Clauio Arrau offer insights into some of Liszt's wide spectrum of composition for piano. Dated from old recordings, the sound quality is not the greatest by today's standards, but the interpretations stand the test of time. The choice of what music is included in the book is also wonderful, and includes some of Liszt's less frequently performed pieces such as the Benediction of God in Solitude and Ballade No.2, two of the greatest piano pieces by Liszt. The author debunks the often shallow view of Liszt as just a show-man lacking substance. I used it and recommended it for a two-week class I taught this summer on Liszt: King of the Piano geared for adult continuing education.
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