Customer Reviews

After the Golden Age: Romantic Pianism and Modern Performance

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In its relatively concise length, Kenneth Hamilton's book deals with several related questions concerning the history of piano performance in a remarkably comprehensive fashion. Beginning with the broadest questions, such as where and for whom pianists customarily performed in the nineteenth century, the author, himself a distinguished pianist, continues with issues such as the length and composition of concert programs, the role of improvisation in public performances, memorization, and the eternal problem of fidelity to the printed score and respect for the composer's intentions.

It is inevitable that the figure of Franz Liszt would take center stage in a book that asks whether there was indeed a "golden age" of pianism. One of the singular virtues of Hamilton's work is that the great pianist and composer is presented as the complex, multifaceted figure he was. His public performances were very different from piano recitals today, with assisting artists, improvisation, so-called "preluding," and above all, vocal and frequently riotous audience expression. In fact, they were quite a bit like popular music concerts are today. How we got from those lively, frequently lightweight and sloppy, but exciting events to the solemn, reverent affairs that piano concerts are today is a central, though hardly the only, topic of Hamilton's discourse. He shows us that although something has arguably been gained by this transformation, something also has been lost.

There are some tedious stretches in the book--it is difficult to enliven, for example, a chapter that is basically a recitation of concert programs played by this or that pianist--and not all of the author's observations are fresh. It is hardly news to read, for example, that modern recording technology has altered both performer's attitudes toward and audiences' expectations of live performance. Nevertheless, Hamilton's perception and frequent sharp wit serve to make "After the Golden Age" an engaging and entertaining read, despite copious footnotes and documentation.

A thought-provoking and enjoyable book! It is written skillfully and with humour, so it's a real pleasure to read it; but at the meantime it provides the reader with the most advanced scholarly research, with a complete and thorough insight on performance practice, and has the added value of combining the musicologist's knowledge with the pianist's practical experience and creativity. a MUST!

If you're into piano performance practice and the history of the pianists you should absolutely read this - it's similar to Schonberg's writings, like The Lives of the Great Pianists, but more intensive.

The book deals with the change of performance practice from the late 19th century into the 20th century in a good amount of detail and with a number of cited sources. Mr. Hamilton's sense of humor also shines through, so you have no need to worry about a 'dry textbook' style of writing. Of the books I've picked up in the past few years, this is certainly one of my favorites and one of those which has given me a great deal to think about.

A must read for any serious piano students and piano teachers. This is an eye-opener that reveals how far piano recitals have strayed from those of the Romantic 19th Century.

i certainly enjoyed the opening chapters of this book yet by the time i got to the end i felt the author had overextended his reach. as a professional pianist i find a lot of the information near the beginning new to me and very interesting. by the end the information is repetitive and pretty much common knowledge.