Reflections from the Keyboard: The World of the Concert Pianist

Rating:
Summary: Great Reading but...
Review: I have been checking the first edition of this book out of the library for years and finally decided to get my own copy.
I really enjoy reading about all of the pianists and like the interview method used. However, I was disappointed in the drawings of the pianists and would have preferred the old photographs used in the first edition. The drawing of Glenn Gould was such a let down when compared to the lovely photograph of Glen enjoying his music that was used in the first edition.

Rating:
Summary: Control freak
Review: I was quite surprised by the high rating of this book by other readers. This book is composed by a series of interviews (at least it seems that way) with pianists. Dubal, the interviewer, often asks close ended questions like "is it true that...?", "did you ever...?", which leave the interviewees very little room to express. Dubal also uses a huge portion of this book to show off his knowledge of piano music and history, which ruins the purpose of this book. One worst example, in the interview with Horowirtz, Dubal asked Horowitz if he had premiered Prokofiev's sonatas in America. Horowitz answered "Yes, the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth". Dubal then said, "Those are called the War Sonatas". It's difficult to believe that Dubal would say such silly thing in an interview with Horowitz, and it really ruined my appetite to continue reading.

I find the interviews dull and not personal. Dubal is very well prepared but he left the pianists very little room to show the real self and their deeper thoughts of music.

This might have been a better book if Dubal collects all materials from these "interviews" and objectively rewrites them into essays.

Rating:
Summary: Very interesting book on concert pianists
Review: These interviews with 45 or so concert pianists, mostly American born and trained, is very insightful for those interested in gathering information on some of the best modern players on the scene today. Though the majority of the interviews are from the early 1980's, the views and opinions expressed by the pianists are still valid today. Most interesting is the honesty of pianist Andre Watts, who admits he is one of the lucky few to have been able to sustain a career in the music business. You will read that the prevailing opinion of most professional pianists is that because of the severe competition, the chances of becoming a concert pianist, even for a talented player, is very, very, very slim, and that they freely admit that they are one of the lucky ones. Also you will read that the life of a concert pianist is difficult, involving alot of traveling, and dealing with instruments that may not always be up to performance standards. Collectors interested in building a superior library of classical CD's will come up with the names of many interesting pianists to investigate further. I owned the first edition of this book when it was released in the 1980's, and have discarded that version and have purchased this new 2nd edition as a replacement.

Rating:
Summary: The Pianistic Pantheon -- At Last!
Review: This is a must-read for anyone who has ever been interested in the piano, the virtuosi or even the cult of the personality. Here are all the pianistic legends of the late 20th century revealed. Abbey Simon tells how his 8 year old son was his worst critic, Byron Janis explains how he become Horowitz's student, and Rosalyn Turek (a pianist whom I revere) reveals how discovering her interpretive method for playing Bach (which she does better than anybody) came to her in a fever. Each interview gives a clear and telling picture of the artist. Some are stern, some distant and aloof, some quite full of joie-de-vivre, and Dubal etches these personalities clearly in print. Belongs on every music lover's bookshelf.