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Andrys Basten's Links to Newer Classical Music Books

* Click on photo to see book info at Amazon *

"...neither too elementary nor too advanced for any pianist, piano teacher or piano lover. It is informative, inspiring, and entertaining." —Claude Frank
"A very instructive, imaginative, and stimulating book." —Radu Lupu

"...Richter's distinctive voice, unpretentious, ironic, at times defensive, humorous, convincingly sincere, as brutally candid about his foibles, his performances, and his preferences as about the strengths and failings of his colleagues —Beth Archer Brombert

"Intriguing and informative for musicians, teachers, and music lovers. Highly recommended" - Library Journal

"The mix of thoughtfulness and brilliance that irradiates [Brendel's] performances infuses these spirited essays." - Susan Sontag

"... sneaky and surreal sense of humor ... written to amuse, edify, and tickle the reader's sensibility..." - James Marcus
* And definitely see the excellent Kirkus review *

"...a detailed critical study of Gould, the musical interpreter ... Examining recorded performances occasionally note by note [with CD], the author analyzes Gould's interpretations ..." - Library Journal

"...we readers are lucky that Ted Libbey has provided this guide to the complex and magnificent realm of music." - Mstislav Rostropovich

“I can’t imagine a better book of its kind.” - Richard Taruskin, UC;
"... in-depth examinations of a wide range of issues ... truly compelling reading." - Fanfare;   "... invaluable resource... filled with revelations" - Joseph Spencer, Musical Offering

The four as one ... a look at one string quartet's personal histories, working life, and their rehearsals for a recording, with a look at the history of the quartet form, technical aspects of performance, and analyses of other quartet group 'personalities.' Gets high ratings from early readers.

"... richly illustrated by musical examples not as they appear in the score, but as Callas suggested they be interpreted. Highly recommended for all voice students and as a manual of performance practice" - Library Journal

Emphasis is on Du Pre the musician. "...definitive" - Publishers Weekly;  "...satisfying and invaluable" - NY Times Book Review

21 Interviews, with Malfitano, Matilla, Bartoli, Swenson, Fleming, Eaglen, Zajic, Graves, Gheorghiu, and 12 others

"Certainly the best study of its kind." - The Independent;
"Brilliant" - The Guardian;
"Indispensible for students and music lovers" - The Musical Times;
"Concise, accurate, and up-to-date" - The Times

"... a charm that other, more hardened, accounts might lack." - NY Times Book Review;
"... readable, fast-moving...a flood of often delightful anecdotes about classical music's luminaries" - Business Week

"... user-friendly compendium....The book's writers are all Brahms enthusiasts, and their excitement is infectious." - Publishers Weekly

"Richly informative ... changes perceptions" - Sunday Times, UK;
"Little short of a bombshell ... " - NY Times;

"A poignant, stimulating book ... rich in insights." - Classical Music

"Every opera fan needs this book....The sidebars, citing important world events, and the succulent visuals make this book one to keep." - San Francisco Examiner

"... a naughtily witty tell-almost-all book... " - NY Times Bk Rev.;
"...the most perceptive and hilariously honest book on the making and marketing of opera to come along in some time." - NY Times;
"...a hilarious, revealing, and sometimes malicious book about operatic intrigue on and off the stage." - The Boston Globe
(Some readers find the book nasty and shallow.)

Translated accounts of Chopin's pupils, acquaintances and contemporaries, as well as his own writings.

Their genesis, Chopin's performances, his use of these as a teacher, plus critical/performance history-analysis, and an investigation of his "enigmatic 'third concerto,' the Allegro de concert."

"Liszt's final years are remarkably similar to those of the eccentric twentieth-century pianist Glenn Gould." - Booklist;
"... painstaking scholarship ... the first fully reliable account of Liszt's amazingly eventful life." - Commentary Magazine

The sub-title (in italics) says it all.

"Unique in its coverage..." - Times Educational Supplement;
"The most reliable single-volume reference work." - Sunday Times

"Steinberg ... gives us essays on music that are love letters, overflowing with passion and intimate detail. - Garrick Ohlsson

"One of the best books about a performing artist ever written..." —Andrew Porter, The New Yorker.