It has been our intention in commissioning this book to complement the documentary and analytical focus of Cambridge University Press's first volume of Chopin studies, published in 1988. This new collection targets three main areas of research--reception history, aesthetics and criticism, and performance studies--although the boundaries between these are by no means tightly drawn.

Following the success of Chopin Studies, this second volume of essays contains the most recent Chopin research of twelve leading scholars. Three main themes are addressed: reception history, aesthetics and criticism, and performance studies. The essays explore Chopin as classical composer, as salon composer, as modernist, as "otherworldly," as androgyne, and define aspects of his musical language, including narrative structures, progressive tendencies and functional ambiguity.

Chopin's E minor and F minor Piano Concertos played a vital role in his career as a composer-pianist. This Handbook reevaluates them so that their many outstanding qualities can be fully appreciated. It describes their genesis, Chopin's own performances and his use of them as a teacher. A survey of their critical, editorial and performance histories follows, in preparation for an engaging narrative analysis of the concertos as embodied in sound. The final chapter investigates Chopin's enigmatic "third concerto," the Allegro de concert.

The twelve essays in this volume reflect the most important trends in the study of musical performance. Three areas are investigated: the psychology of performance, the semantics of performance, and the relation between performance and analysis. The first section broaches fundamental issues such as text, expression, musical motion and the role of practice in the acquisition of expertise. The next four chapters address the shaping of structure and the projection of meaning in performance, while the last four consider performance as analytical paradigm, as dramatic narrative, as act of...

This book unravels the complexities of playing music and reveals aspects of learning, playing and responding to music relevant to performances of all levels. A survey of performance through the ages leads to a presentation of basic historical, analytical and psychological concepts. Four chapters follow on teaching, development, practice and memorization. The next section considers the "translation" from score to sound, physical projection, ensemble playing and performance anxiety. The final section addresses the act of listening, the legacy of recordings, music criticism and "performers on...

Musicians are continually 'in the making', tapping into their own creative resources while deriving inspiration from teachers, friends, family members and listeners. Amateur and professional performers alike tend not to follow fixed routes in developing a creative voice: instead, their artistic journeys are personal, often without foreseeable goals. The imperative to assess and reassess one's musical knowledge, understanding and aspirations is nevertheless a central feature of life as a performer.

Musicians in the Making explores the creative development of musicians in both...