The Art of the Piano: Its Performers, Literature, and Recordings (A Harvest Book) [Paperback]

David Dubal (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Harvest Book | Publication Date: November 1995

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

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

As a basic handbook for piano enthusiasts, this is an informative and well-researched volume. The first section offers capsule biographies of pianists through history, alphabetically arranged, that assess the stylistic or pianistic traits of each. Recordings--or, in the case of historical figures, contemporary reports on playing styles--are cited for documentation. The second section presents a critical survey of the important piano literature, solo and concerto, with a selective discography for each, based on the author's comparative listening. The amount of space accorded each pianist, as well as the author's critical commentaries, are of necessity highly subjective; nevertheless, Dubal's choices give us an impression of careful judgment and genuine love of the subject. There are some surprising omissions (e.g., Gilbert Kalish, Christian Zacharias) in the biographical section, but the discography lists many additional performers. In sum, this book incorporates in one volume the kind of useful information contained in an historical work such as Harold Schonberg's The Great Pianists and in the various guides to the piano literature that are available.
- Susan Kagan, Hunter Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

". . . a critical appreciation of pianists' talents . . . [a] practical volume." -- American Reference Books Annual, 36th vol.

". . . inclusion of many concert pianists not . . . in standard biographical music dictionaries makes [Dubal's] work important for college music libraries." -- Choice, June 2005

"A reference book that is also compelling reading is a rare book." -- Music Teacher Magazine, June/July 2005

"Dubal presents an amazing wealth of information and does so in a genial but erudite way . . . [a] valuable book." -- American Record Guide, July/August 2005

"Dubal's supple language fits each portrait. . . . This is a bargain treasure. Let it entice, outrage, and inform you." -- Clavier, July/August 2005

"In its new guise, this important title effectively superseded earlier editions and is quite a bargain for libraries; highly recommended." -- Library Journal, February 1, 2005

"an excellent resource book . . . its spine will be getting many creases over the next few years." -- Piano Professional UK, April 2005 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 477 pages
• Publisher: Harvest Books; 2 Sub edition (November 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156000199
• ISBN-13: 978-0156000192
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,120,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A sloppy mess, August 12, 2008

By 

pianophile8 (College Park, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of the Piano: Its Performers, Literature, and Recordings Revised & Expanded Edition (Paperback)

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 does 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

30 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Engaging, personal reflections on the Great Pianists, May 11, 2005

By 

Alan Lekan (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Art of the Piano: Its Performers, Literature, and Recordings Revised & Expanded Edition (Paperback)

Correction - 4.5 star rating.
David Dubal is a Juilliard faculty member, accomplished pianist and a distinguished music author whose books draw the reader deep into the world of classical music. Like his more general 2001 book, "Essential Canon," this book gives you a more colorful, personal view of the composers and performers of classical music. This is the Fourth Edition which has substantial additions (especially in the piano literature) that make it a worthwile upgrade from earlier editions. Let's say up-front that one thing this book is NOT is boring, overly-academic or bogged down in heavy musicology prose. On the contrary, David Dubal's writing is highly engaging ... his stories colorful and human ... his perspectives deeply personal but well-earned. All of this make this book read more like a page-turning novel than a dry, adademic treatise. Here's a snipit from his essay on pianist Wilhelm Kempff to illustrate his expressive writing style:

"Wilhelm Kempff's recordings are the marvelous product of a civilized, gentlemanly mind. He had a clear sense of oganization, and I always feel warmed by his artistic generosity, keen intelligence, musical dignity and gentleness. His Schubert playing is lovely and full of whimsy. He imparts that unique Schubertian amiability which makes for joy. His reading of the final Sonata in B-Flat is angelic. Only in the "Wanderer Fantasy" does Kempff's playing lumber. Kempff is often radiant in Brahms; his E-flat minor Scherzo and F-minor Sonata are all heart, and the smaller pieces can be jewels in his hands. In Schumann, Kempff is even more successful. It is a compassionate, sympathetic Schumann. The darker recesses of the composer's soul are closed to scrutiny; instead, Kempff's Schumann if filled with the fragrance and the apple-cheeked youth of early German Romanticism, all optimism and fancy. He is best in the Davidbundlertanze, Kinderscenen, and a flickering Papillons, but less successful in the Symphonic Etudes and Kreisleriana."

Very personal reflections indeed. But, the first thing one notices in this book is just how many pianists he lists - not just the well-known ones but a couple hundred perhaps. Dubal rightfully pays due honor to the legends and greats by giving pages of biography chocked full of fascinating stories, defining events, style analysis and critique - all which make for fun and fasinating reading. Significant coverage is given to legends such as Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Rubinstein, Arrau, Gould and especially Horowitz. Thankfully, he gives some interesting commentary on some of today's new and formidable talents like Marc-Andres Hamelin, Evgeny Kissen and Lang Lang - although not hiding his outright distaste for the latter showman. However, other pianists popular with the public (Uchida, Kovacevich, Janos) often get only one tiny paragraph which can leave fans hungering for more. Similarly, it may be frustrating to some readers not to even see their favorites listed (such as Angela Hewitt whose ever-growing discography is quite distinguished). Equally odd too is that many relatively "obscure" pianists get an unusual amount of coverage - but perhaps some these truly deserve to be better known.

What most makes this book so compelling is the way Mr. Dubal weaves in his musical insights, concert experiences and personal conversations with these great pianists which gives the book a more "being there" feeling. For example, he shares some interesting things he took away from private phone calls with Glenn Gould or recalls how pianists in NYC flocked to Carnegie Hall with great anticipation when Martha Argerich flew into town. His impressions of the stage mannerisms of performers like Richter or Serkin are vivid tidbits of intrigue. Certainly, Dubal has "hob-nobbed" around the music scene for a while and has many fascinating stories to share. And while Dubal is definately not shy to critique someone's style or performance, he also rightfully loads heaps of praise as well - all of this helps transform such a book from more of a sterile, academic quality to a spicier, engaging read. Sometimes though, he could be less definitive in his criticism and leave pure opinions in the realm of personal preferance. In all his accounts, Mr. Dubal's sincere love and passion for the art is unmistakable. Even the many portraits in the book of the great pianists that Dubal sketched himself seems to reveal his deep respect and honor for these legends.

The second part of this book will delight pianists and fans alike where Mr. Dubal reviews the major piano literature with decent commentary. For example, he lists and comments on ALL of Beethoven's 32 sonatas, Bach's 48, the majority of Chopin's piano compositions and so on. He also lists (but does not compare or describe) a range of the recordings to consider for each. Last, one enticing bonus in the latest (4th) edition for serious pianophiles and collectors is the inclusion of a CD of RARE RECORDINGS - some 31 works mostly recorded pre-WWII. But, the sound of nearly all is pretty scratchy.

In short, this is a most engaging book that should serve as a valuable resource for the serious classical fan or pianist. It is one of my favorite books on classical music that is referred to a lot. In the end, it was Dubal's story-telling and "behind-the-scenes" accounts that won my attention and admiration. Such writing creates more three-dimensional, compellingly-human depictions of the past and present pianists who have blessed our world with the finest art that can be achieved. 4.5 stars (not 3).

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Much Useful Knowledge, January 3, 2005

By 

Eileen Pollock (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Art of the Piano: Its Performers, Literature, and Recordings Revised & Expanded Edition (Paperback)

There is much to learn in this useful book for piano fans and students. I was a bit disappointed though that prominent pianists were given little coverage or not updated at all - Thibaudet, Andsnes, Hough, Lortie, Perahia - and pianists who are largely unknown to the public were updated, and highly praised. This was puzzling to me. I understand wanting to celebrate the careers of lesser known pianists, but why not also cover the careers of those who are performing at Carnegie Hall before the public? I get the feeling that many of these biographical entries are not for the benefit of the reader, but for the pianists who are listed. Yet the ordinary reader is the book's customer. Surely we are worth a little regard. More useful to the reader is the piano literature section of Part II. There is a lot of interesting updating here, including Beethoven, Busoni, Godowsky, Medtner, and much more. The list of recommended recordings is helpfully expanded. But there is too much in Part I that seems like excess, and minor careers are overpraised.