Customer Reviews

Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire, third edition

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Essential," "Indispensable," "Invaluable," "Crucial." Those are a few of the labels often applied to this remarkable book. Currently in its third edition, Maurice Hinson's "Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire" is still the most sought-after reference for essentially all solo piano music of significance. Outside professional private instruction and a reliable piano technician, every serious piano student needs three tools on hand: a piano, piano music, and this guide. Hinson's reputation as both an effective and productive musicologist is firmly established in this work.

The book is structured into two primary sections. The main section, Part 1, is alphabetically categorized by composer. Each referenced work includes a list of available publications, their editors, and the composition's date if known. Hinson includes a brief yet vivid description of the style or character of a given piece and, in most cases, a comment or two on some of the technical requirements one can expect for preparatory purposes. The guide is also a reliable reference to books for further study of a given work. Both logic and common sense went into organizing the massive collection of data. The guide also proves sensibly formatted for sections of large volume by a single composer, such as the collections of Bach or Chopin, for example.

Part 2 is an impressive reference to published anthologies, subdivided into four categories. The first category, "General," lists publications of character pieces, impressionistic works, and any number of "Heinz 57" types. There is a "General: Contemporary" section for twentieth century collections. In addition to Bartók, Prokofieff, and others from the earlier years of the century, one can also find reference to works by Boulez, Kohlenz and Harbison, to name a few. The third category, coined "Tombeaux, Hommages," is a brief list of collections of works composed in honor of another composer. The fourth category, the largest of the four, is a comprehensive reference to piano collections by nationality. It is subdivided alphabetically.

The book includes an appendix of historical recital programs by Rubinstein, Busoni and Gabrilowitsch. There is also an impressive group of indexes for referencing under different category types.

The entire collection of works are broadly lumped into four technical grades. The labels are "Easy," "Intermediate (Int.)," "Moderately Difficult (M-D)," and "Difficult (D)." It may help the amateur, when focusing on technical problems, to limit the comparisons to other works of the same genre or by the same composer, rather than cross-comparing any two works that happen to have the same grade.

For example, Franz Liszt's "Transcendental Etudes" is marked "D" for difficult; likewise György Ligeti's "Etudes for Piano" is graded "D." Since the primary technical demands for these two works are as different from each other as the works themselves, the grade is really little more than a signal that both works will require extensive work and patience beyond most anything marked M-D. Naturally, the serious piano student will pursue further research for works of this magnitude anyway, but Hinson's commentary often provides key information for what lies ahead. In Liszt's etude collection, for instance, the player will confront "double-note tremolos," and a "melody with rapid tremolo accompaniment in the same hand." For Ligeti's set, the performer faces "polyrhythmic, simultaneous progressive layers of tempo" and a command in dynamics ranging between ffffffff and pppppppp. Hinson's carefully worded descriptions often prove crucial in matters such as this. It pays to note them.

This massive project is both focused and thorough. Hinson has delivered a beneficial service for the serious piano explorer. Even casual browsing proves enlightening.

One request for the next edition: since the "Tombeaux, Hommages" category is so small, and only a few homages happen to be in collections, perhaps a comprehensive list of all published piano homages would make a worthy addition. Sincere thanks from this aging amateur pianist and music-lover goes to Mr. Hinson, the publisher, and to all teachers and professionals involved in the making of this excellent handbook.

Hinson's book is the best (and possibly the only) comprehensive list of all piano music out there today. Organized by composer, the Guide offers brief descriptions of all piano music by that composer, who publishes it, and how difficult it is to play.

I would be lost without this reference book. It's given me scores of ideas for new repertoire over the years and has saved me from wasting time on others. It's also sent me on many exciting library music stack searches, trying to locate out-of-print music.

Thank you, Mr. Hinson. I eagerly await your updated version of this fine book.

For the serious lover of piano music, this book is invaluable. For the piano student and teacher, it is indispensable. The finest book of its kind ever published, I refer to it constantly for information about availability of piano pieces and for the rating of difficulty used for piano pieces.

Highly recommended!

I bought the book for a student and I think it is one of the first books a pianist should buy...the piano repertoire is huge but we are always listening to the same programs.
Maurice Hinson makes a great effort to list a great variety of music. Thank you Maurice.

As a pianist, teacher, adjudicator and examiner I ocassionally find myself frustrated by the fact that I can't remember off hand the name, key, opus number or a particular fact about a work when I absolutely need too!
Maurice Hinson once again comes to the rescue for people like myself and others! The Guide is wonderfully laid out and provides pertinent facts about nearly 2,000 solo piano compositions by well known and the lesser-known composers. The information is specific and to the point, without all the non-essential material which is exactly what I need when grasping for information in the middle of a competition or when asked a question in a workshop about an obscure work or composer!
All bases are covered in this edition. For students, new, and even seasoned teachers, Hinson provides precise, formidable insight on a composer's complete compositions, as well as pianistic, interpretative, stylistic and characteristic approaches.
Overall, "The Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire", is virtually a "Pianist's Bible."

Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus. A.Mus. L.R.S.M. Licentiate (honorary)

In terms of standard 17th thru 19th century repertoire, this is a comprehensive repertoire listing, which is particularly useful for teachers of advanced piano students to help choose pieces for students. A "difficulty" rating is assigned to every piece of piano music, which I would take with a grain of salt - this is certainly subjective. There are lots of nice unexpected surprises listed - works that I didn't know existed, and information on their publishers. In terms of modern repertoire, there are some helpful suggestions, but I think that the field is simply too big (as well as constantly changing as new composers come along), so pianists should investigate their contemporary music choices through other channels.

Maurice Hinson's earlier revision of GUIDE TO THE PIANIST'S REPERTOIRE was of great assistance to me in my own college piano study, and its accuracy in listing historical content makes this text a most valuable tool for piano students who are ready for a more global vision of our history's piano composers and repertoire. Although brief, Mr. Hinson's sketch biography of each composer well captures his/her musical style, and his scholarly-detailed information allows the reader very succinct information regarding the listed repertoire and level of difficulty. In his current 3rd revision, Mr. Hinson also includes national, international and women composers! This GUIDE will continue to be one of my most valuable reference tools in shaping the young pianist's understanding of quality piano literature.

The Third Edition of "Hinson" (Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire) has perhaps 120 new entries, but is otherwise unchanged. I looked for the entry for Leo Ornstein as an example, and indeed his date of death was not included. (He was born, probably, in 1892). I assume that, similarly, there was little revision done on previous entries.

Hinson's opinions are usually authoritative, if occasionally annoying. For pianists interested in expanding their repertory, this is an essential resource. One problem is that the coverage is focussed on available published editions. Today a huge range of formerly out-of-print piano music is available for free download from [...] This site did not exist when previous editions came out. Publishers, and Amazon, may not approve, but a guide intended to be comprehensive should cover this resource.

I have purchased each edition of the "Guide to Pianist's Repertoire" during my career as a piano instructor. This edition provides more up-to-date information on Contemporary music. Quite a bit larger tome, but essential for every pianist!

Product was in near new condition except for cover jacket, which had tears and sun damage. The book itself was in great shape. I am impressed with the quality.