Arrau on Music and Performance

AwardedanASCAPDeemsTaylorAwardin1983forexcellenceinwritingaboutmusic,thisvolumeofcandidconversationswiththelateClaudioArrauisbothasubtleportraitofoneoftheworld'sgreatconcertartistsandavividexplorationofhisuniqueandintenselyfeltbeliefsaboutmusicandpianoperformance.Uponitsinitialappearance,criticalacclaimforthisworkincludedravereviewsfromTheNewYorker("Oneofthebestbooksaboutaperformingartisteverwritten....It'sanenthralling,free-flowing,butshapelycompoundofreminiscencesandofobservationsonmusic."),andNewYorkMagazine("Somethingofamiracle,abookthatactuallyexploresthelifeanddevelopmentofalivingmusicianbydealingseriouslywithimportantmusicalissues.Eachchaptersetsabiographicalcontextforaconversation...afascinatingandvaluablebook.").InadditiontohisconversationswithArrau,formerNewYorkTimescriticJosephHorowitzhasincludeddiscussionswithfourrenownedmusicianswhoworkedwiththecelebratedpianist:PhilipLorenz,DanielBarenboim,GarrickOhlsson,andSirColinDavis.Theresultisaneminentlyreadableportraitofagreatartist,presentedinanintimate,conversationalformat—suretofascinatepianists,musicians,andanyoneseriouslyinterestedinmusicandthepiano.JosephHorowitzisalsotheauthorofUnderstandingToscanini,TheIvoryTread,WagnerNights:AnAmericanHistory,andThePost-ClassicalPredicament.,