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A Pianist's A–Z: A piano lover's reader Kindle Edition

4.1 out of 5 stars 56

'This book distils what, at my advanced age, I feel able to say about music, musicians, and matters of my pianistic profession.'
Ever since Alfred Brendel bid farewell to the concert stage after six decades of performing, he has been passing on his insight and experience in the form of lectures, readings and master-classes. This reader for lovers of the piano distils his musical and linguistic eloquence and vast knowledge, and will prove invaluable to anyone with an interest in the technique, history and repertoire of the piano.
Erudite, witty, enlightening and deeply personal, A Pianist's A to Z is the ideal book for all piano lovers, musicians and music aficionados: rarely has the instrument been described in such an entertaining and intelligent fashion.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00DAJ59HM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Faber & Faber; Main edition (September 3, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 3, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1618 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 124 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 56

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
56 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2013
Brendel brings here his artistic sensitivity at the piano, his clarity and originality of expression, also to prose. He does this in a witty, intelligent, enlightening and personal book for music lovers. The book is full of insight and a delightful read; it can also be used as an introduction to a beginner's questioning given its alphabetical outlay. What is an arpeggio? Well, a harplike broken chord, where a chord's notes are played in sequence. It is "Not just a way of accommodating small hands, but a means of expression. The expressive range of arpeggios reaches from the vehement to the mysterious (e.g. the opening of Beethoven's Sonata Op. 31 No. 2)."
"It is easily forgotten that `arpeggio' derives from arpa (harp). The pianist should envisage a lady harpist controlling the rhythm and dynamics of her arpeggios with her gracious fingertips. Arpeggios need attentive care and acute ears. Where the arpeggiando sign is not indicated as spread across both hands, we should be hearing two simultaneous harps."
You see: what, as a pianist, Brendel will do to music is usually the full chord but here he lays it out in arpeggiando, one letter at a time.

So, by knowing all this, down through the alphabet, explained in lofty style, sometimes whimsically, as with the z, the book cannot fail but stimulate you to listening to special pieces with a renewed and ravenous gusto.

Brendel speaks with love of his piano: "The piano is an object of transformation. It permits, if the pianist so desires, the suggestion of the singing voice, the timbres of other instruments, of the orchestra. It might even conjure up the rainbow or the spheres. This propensity for metamorphosis, this alchemy, is our supreme treasure."
Repeatedly unusual recommendations are made such as this one that I followed with delight: "Mozart's relatively rare works in minor keys are particularly precious: the A-Minor Rondo K. 511 and the B-Minor Adagio K. 540 are soliloquies of the most personal kind. Stupendous in their chromatic boldness are the Minuet K. 355/576b and the Gigue K. 574. Wagner admired Mozart as a great chromaticist."

I found Brendel's book more interesting than Jonathan Biss 
Beethoven's Shadow (Kindle Single)  for reasons of too much analysis in the latter. But the Brendel is perhaps a little expensive as it really is not a long text. To augment reading on the Vienna classics I recommend Charles Rosen Music and Sentiment , Hermes O  Fresh Classical Music Guide/ Universe as Music , or Lawrence Kramer Why Classical Music Still Matters
13 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2014
It strikes me as incongruous that Alfred Brendel, who declares himself a pianist whose principal interest is cantabile playing, nevertheless shuns the music of Chopin both in this book and in his repertoire. Surely no one has contributed more substantially to turning the piano into a singing voice than Chopin.
Where Brendel deals with his own repertoire he is sometimes profound, sometimes skittish. I have enjoyed this book. It is not a reference book, but helpful in getting to know how he thinks. In the end I much prefer the way he PLAYS Schubert to the way he write about him.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2013
I am neither a great musician nor a great pianist (although I do love music and the piano). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found much to feast on. Mr. Brendel's insights are most worthwhile for anyone with an interest in piano!
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2013
This little inexpensive 117 page hardback is a distillation of Brendel's thoughta and experience about music, musicians including composers, and the art of piano, of which he is a legend. It;s arranged alphabetically with a wide variety of topics under each letter, always insightful, often profound, and with delightful touches of humour. Under "Y" we read "YUCK!" - an exclamation of displeasure at memory lapses, blurred notes and fainting fits. It's embarassingly familiar.
I would have rated five stars but for wishing this little gem was graced with more entries.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2013
I've just begun looking through this small book. I was a bit disappointed as I had expected something more extensive on each A-Z topic. However, I am eager to read anything Brendel may have to say on musical topics as I have great respect for his insight and performance. Having only begun the booklet, there is not much more I can write.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2013
Treatment of each subject is too brief. Considering this is knowledge from a lifetime I wanted more from such a great experience,
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2014
I enjoyed reading the book and found it to be interesting comments. The average pianist should get something out of it.
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2014
A wonderful book if you have studied music and taken piano lessons with a really good teacher.... otherwise, it is over the head for most people. But written well! It made me smile and have wonderful memories... and hear my own teacher's words.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Michele
4.0 out of 5 stars molto interessante...
Reviewed in Italy on May 25, 2016
...scoprire il pensiero e le considerazioni di un grande pianista
su tanti aspetti della musica e non, in una formula molto semplice: dalla A alla Z.
Io ho preferito leggerlo in Inglese ma esiste anche la traduzione in italiano.
Judith Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars A -Z
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2013
I saw this reviewed in the Times and thought it would make a suitable Xmas present fot a friend who is a fantastic classical pianist. I hope he enjoys. Thanks.
Dr. Norman White
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2014
I have been an admirer of Brendel for years both as a fantastic pianist and as a person. This is really just a booklet and though interesting it is a bit short on content.
4 people found this helpful
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Afficionado
5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2014
In fact I bought this as a present for a piano teacher friend of mine and she absolutely loves it.
Bernard
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2014
just loving it has improved how i listen and understand music
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