Encyclopedia of American Classical Pianists

1800s to the Present

Richard Masters

$204

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Rowman & Littlefield
30 August 2023

Music; Keyboard instruments; General encyclopaedias; Reference works

This book focuses on the lives, careers, and musical contributions of American pianists from the very beginnings of the nation until the present day. Pianists are each given an entry exploring their life’s work—relevant biographical details, musical career, and impact on American musical culture—as well as a list and brief discussion of existing and available recordings, if any. Also included are important collaborative pianists—none of whom have ever appeared in any volume on classical pianists—and pedagogues, some of whom never had significant performing careers but produced important students.

The book functions in an encyclopedic A - Z format, and an introduction situates these pianists into historical trends. Research for entries will be based on archival research, period newspapers, interviews with living pianists, and other primary sources.

In addition to historical pianists, current active performers are included, such as Jeremy Denk and Marilyn Nonken. The book also spotlights historical women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ pianists who either never had the opportunity to win widespread acclaim but were top notch performers or who achieved important careers against heavy odds but were soon forgotten after their deaths. Some examples include Augusta Cottlow, a Busoni pupil who toured widely in the early 20th century and was Harry Truman’s favorite pianist; George Copeland, an openly gay Bostonian who studied with Debussy and was one of the first to perform the Frenchman’s works in the United States in the early 20th century; Natalie Hinderas, a mid-20th century African American pianist who was the first African American to perform a concerto on a subscription concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra and recorded a disc of piano music by African American composers for Desto in the 1970s.

This book will provide a comprehensive view of the depth and breadth of American pianistic achievement up to the present day and will serve as the most up-to-date work for piano departments, music libraries, researchers, and interested pianophiles.

This project will be overseen by an editorial advisory board: Thomas Riis (University of Colorado at Boulder, founder and former director of the American Music Research Center), Hsiang Tu (Virginia Tech), Kiyoshi Tamagawa (Southwestern University), Sarah Rushing (West Texas A&M University) Peter Elliott (RCA Records).

By: Richard Masters
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 264mm, Width: 185mm, Spine: 36mm
Weight: 1.234kg
ISBN: 9781538171462
ISBN 10: 1538171465
Pages: 486
Publication Date: 30 August 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Richard Masters is an associate professor of piano and collaborative piano at Virginia Tech. Before joining the faculty in Virginia, he taught at the University of Texas at Austin as principal opera coach in the Butler Opera Center. His articles and reviews have appeared in American Music Teacher, MTNA E-Journal, Studies in Musical Theatre Journal, Directors and Choreographers Journal, Association for Recorded Sound Collections Journal, Piano Magazine, and The Record Collector. He holds degrees from the Eastman School, the Juilliard School, and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Reviews for Encyclopedia of American Classical Pianists: 1800s to the Present

Richard Masters has compiled an anthology that is unparalleled. The beautifully synthesized combination of biographical detail, contemporary concert reviews, and recording recommendations make this book an invaluable reference for generations to come. With this volume, Richard Masters has made a major contribution to our knowledge of American pianistic history. His impressive research has produced much information not readily available elsewhere. This is an invaluable source for scholars and practicing pianists alike.