My Life and Music

Rating:
Summary: My Life and Music
Review: What an interesting book. For anyone who is a pianist, this book is a must in their library. The book is divided into two parts. The first is biographic while the second covers lectures given at university. This biography was not one of those straight forward "I did this and that." What I found most interesting about this book was how much Schnabel talked about the social history and way of life in late nineteenth century Europe. Not only as it related to music but the arts in general. Schnabel is so eloquent and intelligent that while you're reading this book, you get the feeling that you're actually living the musical experience with him. Piano enthusiasts will appreciate this book in order to have a better feel for what kind of life style a concert pianist lived a hundred years ago.

Rating:
Summary: Educated, Intelligent, Intellectual, Revealing.
Review: When I picked up this book I was thinking it would just be another biographical review. Was I ever mistaken, it turned out to be the most educated musical philosophies I have ever heard from the smartest man I've ever read of.

First of all the book is basically a recorded session of him giving his auto-biography [not only of music] at the university of chicago. The two divisions are the first being his session, and the other being a question and answer period.

In any case, this book is not only a musical account much like schobergs' Horowitz and the famous Rachmaninov biography, but its basically a speech on late 19th century life and the life in Europe of pre and post both World Wars. Words simply don't describe the amount of history and quality of content this novel has.

Schnabel has his share of encounters with brahms, strauss, horowitz and others, but it goes furthur than that. Its truly facinating, especially he gives quite a bit of info on Lechietzky and his philosophy on piano playing. Any and all pianists and people who love music or even want to know about history from an unbiased european point of view. I cannot believe this book, you will be as shocked as I was. 10/10