Horowitz: His Life and Music

Rating:
Summary: Buy this book now!
Review: A very well written, thoroughly researched book. Mr. Schonberg takes us through Horowitz's life and brings each part of it to life, telling us about Horowitz the person as well as Horowitz the pianist. Very readable. I've read it so many times that my copy is falling apart!

Rating:
Summary: Informative, engrossing, a pleasure to read !
Review: At last, an in-depth, informative, engrossing book whose subject was a giant.........Horowitz. Mr. Schonberg's articulate style, vast musical expertise and genuine account of this amazing virtuoso is a pleasure to readers of the book... Many thanks, Mr. Schonberg !

Rating:
Summary: A must for all Horowitz fans
Review: Mr Schonberg demonstrated expert musical criticism and personal devotion to his difficult subject. Biographical information is plentiful and accurate, including insight into Horowitz' everyday life and manners. Musical comments on recordings are somewhate more controversial, with a bitterness in respect to Horowitz' last recordings that I find hard to understand. Anyway, an indispensable book.

Rating:
Summary: A must for all Horowitz fans
Review: This biography of the legendary pianist is very impressive and interesting to read -- what is interesting is the life and anecdote of the pianist; what is impressive is the style of the author. It is a detailed account punctuated by humor and insight. On the other hand, compared to the 'Great Pianists'(also by Mr. Schonberg), the author's stylistic whimsical jokes are handled with much greater care - perhaps not to cause unwanted bitterness among Horowitz fans! Like Hilary and Jacky, this book dashed the mystery most people have towards geniuses. The success of geniuses often results in pain for others, especially those who are close to them -- Sonia Horowitz is an acute example. Personally, I find this one of the most touching episodes in the book. If Rachmaninov is 'god for many pianists', as Pletnev says, Horowitz is surely idol for them.