A virtuoso himself at the piano, Bela Bartok was also responsible for over 300 compositions for his beloved instrument. Yet, of all the books exploring his life and music, this is the first to depart from the realm of complex music theory. Written from the vantage point of a pianist and active performer rather than a theorist or musicologist, Bartok and the Piano: A Performer's View readily addresses the artist's exceptional relationship with the piano, paying special attention to form, structure, and the foundation and roots of his musical vocabulary. Using universal terms that the most novice of music lovers will find appealing, the book focuses on Bartok's approach to his music, his pianism, and the discipline and preparation required for performance. It serves as a guide to more informed listening, and will enable its readers to appreciate not only the work of Bartok, but that of countless others. In the midst of recording Bartok's complete works, renowned pianist Barbara Nissman has explored the very roots of his creative processes. To further aid readers in understanding the elements of the repertoire at hand, a CD insert of Bartok's music performed by the author is included. A perfect companion to Benjamin Suchoff's Bela Bartok: Life and Work, the first in-depth biography of the artist and folklorist.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
Richly detailed...welcome features include a CD on which the author gives some spruce performances of 80 minutes of the music she discusses so eloquently. * Musical Opinion * Barbara Nissman's thorough and perceptive survey of the Bartok piano repertoire fills a real need, thanks to her unswerving focus on the problems and elements that confront all serious interpreters of this music. -- Donald Manildi, Curator, International Piano Archives, University of Maryland Barbara Nissman's extraordinary pianistic and musical gifts coupled with her astute analytical perception of Bartok's creative art makes for ideal authoritative equipment for the guidance of pianists in the study of Bartok's great music. -- Rosalyn Tureck, pianist I highly recommend this book. It is an important addition to the Bartok literature, and pianists will find it indispensable. -- David Dubal, author of The Art of the Piano Whether you are a pianist who performs and teaches Bela Bartok's music or simply a lover of piano music, you will find this book a valuable new resource. What makes this book such a treasure-trove are Nissman's insights into the music from a performer's point of view. This book would be an outstanding acquisition for music libraries and is worthy of inclusion in pianists' personal resource collections. * American Music Teacher * Barbara Nissman's study and research translate into one of the most thorough examinations of one performer to another. This is an invaluable aid for professional, teacher, and student alike. -- Leonard Slatkin, Music Director, National Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor, BBC Symphony Orchestra The book teems with music examples....The accompanying CD offers admirable performances by Nissman of 16 titles....of interest to pianists at the learning and teaching levels. * CHOICE * In its finest case studies this book is brilliant. Nissman's book is...a triumph. It is well produced, with lavish musical examples, and a generally high level of accuracy. -- Malcolm Gillies, deputy vice-chancellor, The Australian National University An admirable volume...It is heartwarming to see an accomplished, virtuoso performer such as Barbara Nissman equally at home in the scholarly activity of writing a book. * Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association * [Nissman] offers the sort of insight that can only come from repeated performances of the music...Bartok and the Piano will undoubtedly find its main readership among pianists preparing this demanding but important repertoire for performance and teachers responsible for guiding students through it, but it also has much to offer to those interested more generally in Bartok. * Music Teacher * An excellent addition to a pianist's library. * American Record Guide * A friendly and thought-provoking volume that should provide pleasure and enlightenment to readers ready to delve deeper into the achievement of one of the greatest humanists and musical creators of the 20th century. * International Piano Magazine * A well-researched edition by pianist Barbara Nissman, who presents the composer's music in an engaging and informative style. * Clavier * ...for pianists, skilled, failed and aspiring, this is a gem of a book. -- David Thompson * Music and Vision * ...offers information and sound advice to performers studying particular works. * Classical Music * It always lends a definitive veracity to a book when it is written by an internationally acclaimed concert pianist like Barbara Nissman who's been there, done it; moreso when it shows a keen analytic mind on matters of style, form and structure of Bartok's music....[the] insights reveal the quality of this ebulliently written book and its worth for pianists and music lovers alike. -- Ian Dando * New Zealand Listener *
Sprache
Verlagsort
Illustrationen
bibliography, index, chronology
Maße
Höhe: 233 mm
Breite: 162 mm
Dicke: 24 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-8108-4301-1 (9780810843011)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Barbara Nissman received her doctorate in music from the University of Michigan where she studied with pianist Gyorgy Sandor, himself a student of Bela Bartok. She is well known for her recordings of the music of Prokofiev and Ginastera, recently reissued by Pierian records, and is the dedicatee of Ginastera's final work, the Third Piano Sonata. Future releases include music by Liszt, Bartok and the five Piano Concertos of Prokofiev. Ms. Nissman has performed with the leading orchestras in Europe and the United States and has worked with some of the major conductors of our time including Eugene Ormandy, Riccardo Muti, and Leonard Slatkin.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
The Traditionalist
Sonata (1898, Unpublished)
Four Easy Pieces (1903)
Rhapsody Op. 1 for Solo Piano (1904); for Piano and Orchestra (1905)
Piano Quintet (1904)
Scherzo, Op. 2 for Piano and Orchestra (1904-1905)
Two Elegies, Op. 8b (1908-1909)
Additional Repertoire to Explore
A New Piano Style
Fourteen Bagatelles, Op. 6 (1908)
Ten Easy Pieces (1908)
Three Hungarian Folksongs from the Csik District (1907)
Seven Sketches, Op. 9b (1908-1910)
Additional Repertoire to Explore
Bravura, Virtuosity, and Pianism
Etudes, Op. 18 (1918)
Two Rumanian Dances, Op. 8a (1910)
Allegro Barbaro (1911)
Folk Music: The Perfect Union
Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs, Op. 20 (1920)
Other Solo Compositions Using Folk Material
Form and the Sonata
Sonata (1926)
Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion (1937)
Concerto for Two Pianos, Percussion, and Orchestra (1940)
The Evolutionary: Out of Doors (1926)
"With Drums and Pipes"
"Barcarolla"
"Musettes"
"Musiques Nocturnes"
"The Chase"
Back to the Suite
Suite Op. 14 (1916)
Dance Suite (1925)
Petite Suite (1936, revised 1943)
Suite for Two Pianos Op. 4b (1941)
Ten Plus Nine Plus Two Plus...
Three Burlesques, Op. 8c (1908-1911)
Four Dirges, Op. 9a (1909-1910)
Three Rondos on Folk Tunes (1916-1927)
Nine Little Piano Pieces (1926)
Two Pictures (Deux Images), Op. 10 (1910-1911)
The Composer as Teacher
Mikrokosmos
For Children (1908-1909, revised 1944-1945)
First Term at the Piano (1913, published 1929)
The Three Piano Concertos and the Piano Chamber Repertory
Piano Concerto No. 1 (1926)
Piano Concerto No. 2 (1936)
Piano Concerto No. 3 (1945)
The Piano/Chamber Repertoire
Clarity and Rubato: Bartok as Pianist
Discography of Bartok Piano Recordings
Completed Piano Works
Other Major Works in Chronological Relation to Piano Repertory
Afterword
Annotated Bibliography
CD Track List
General Index
Index of Bartok's Works
About the Author
