(Unlocking the Masters). Composer, bon vivant, pianist, teacher, superstar showman, raconteur, writer, entrepreneur, ladies' man, philanthropist, and priest, Franz Liszt is widely viewed today not only as a great composer, but also as the greatest pianist of the 19th century. Yet his enormous body of piano music, by turns poetic, glittering, acrobatic, prophetic, profound, and haunting, failed to command the acclaim it deserved in his lifetime. In Liszt, John Bell Young takes a close look at this opulent music, illuminating its many facets and challenges from a pianist's engaged perspective....

This unique collaboration between a musicologist and two pianists - all experts in Russian music - takes a fresh look at the supercharged music and polarizing reception of the Russian composer Alexander Scriabin. From his Chopin-inspired miniatures to his genre-bending symphonies and avant-garde late works, Scriabin left a unique mark on music history. Scriabin's death centennial in 2015 brought wider exposure and renewed attention to this pioneering composer. Music lovers who are curious about Scriabin have been torn between specialized academic studies and popular sources that glamorize his...