Mohr's humor and personal perspective on the lives of Rubinstein, Horowitz, and other artists mix music lore with quiet faith.

Handy resource for jazz listeners and hardcore fans. Spanning players from eighty years of history, this bold book steps forward and claims who are the greatest. Compiled from an extensive survey conducted with the best jazz minds in the education, publishing and entertainment worlds, noted jazz journalist Gene Rizzo summarized the chosen and presents a concise bio on the essence of these jazz giants. Choices were made on the basis of chops, originality, creativity, and degree of influence. This book will either confirm some readers' opinions or open debate with others, but ultimately the book provides an impressive summary of the greatest jazz piano players of all time. A photo accompanies each listing * Landmark recordings are listed * Extra lists include the next twenty to be selected, the top women players and an alphabetical list of all the other players considered

Surveys the careers and personalities of the great pianists from Clementi and Mozart to the present day.

Embark on an enchanting journey through the world of piano music with "Keys to Immortality: The 100 Greatest Pianists of All Time." This comprehensive anthology celebrates the virtuosos who have left an indelible mark on the art of piano playing. From the genius of Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to the innovative brilliance of Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt, and from the jazz mastery of Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans to the contemporary flair of Lang Lang and Evgeny Kissin, this book captures the essence of piano greatness. Perfect for classical music aficionados, jazz enthusiasts, and anyone who appreciates the profound artistry of piano music, "Keys to Immortality" is a tribute to the pianists who have shaped the soundscapes of our lives. Explore the timeless beauty, innovation, and passion of the 100 greatest pianists of all time.

Wilhelm von Lenz was a a personal acquaintance of the famous romantic composers of the mid 19th century. His accounts tell us how the author experienced and evaluated the lives and careers of Franz Liszt, Fréderic Chopin, Carl Tausig and Adolf von Henselt.

A renowned concert pianist traces the instrument's design, manufacture, and music in a delightful "piano's eye-view" of the social history of Western Europe and the United States from the 16th to the 20th centuries.

A beautifully illustrated, totally engrossing celebration of the piano, and the composers and performers who have made it their own. With honed sensitivity and unquestioned expertise, Stuart Isacoff—pianist, critic, teacher, and author of Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization—unfolds the ongoing history and evolution of the piano and all its myriad wonders: how its very sound provides the basis for emotional expression and individual style, and why it has so powerfully entertained generation upon generation of listeners. He illuminates the groundbreaking music of Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Schumann, and Debussy. He analyzes the breathtaking techniques of Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Arthur Rubinstein, and Van Cliburn, and he gives musicians including Alfred Brendel, Murray Perahia, Menahem Pressler, and Vladimir Horowitz the opportunity to discuss their approaches. Isacoff delineates how classical music and jazz influenced each other as the uniquely American art form progressed from ragtime, novelty, stride, boogie, bebop, and beyond, through Scott Joplin, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Cecil Taylor, and Bill Charlap. A Natural History of the Piano distills a lifetime of research and passion into one brilliant narrative. We witness Mozart unveiling his monumental concertos in Vienna’s coffeehouses, using a special piano with one keyboard for the hands and another for the feet; European virtuoso Henri Herz entertaining rowdy miners during the California gold rush; Beethoven at his piano, conjuring healing angels to console a grieving mother who had lost her child; Liszt fainting in the arms of a page turner to spark an entire hall into hysterics. Here is the instrument in all its complexity and beauty. We learn of the incredible craftsmanship of a modern Steinway, the peculiarity of specialty pianos built for the Victorian household, the continuing innovation in keyboards including electronic ones. And most of all, we hear the music of the masters, from centuries ago and in our own age, brilliantly evoked and as marvelous as its most recent performance. With this wide-ranging volume, Isacoff gives us a must-have for music lovers, pianists, and the armchair musician.