Piano Notes Review

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Piano Notes ReviewIn his brilliant article, "Who's Afraid of the Avant-Garde?" Charles Rosen makes the point that the societal dilemma of the decline of serious music is a false one, as the survival of music depends not on the willingness of audience-goers to listen to it, but on the drive within musicians to play it. In the end, we play the pieces that inspire us and challenge us -- and, above all, the pieces we love. Rosen argues that the commercial aspect of music has made us forget this simple fact: we participate in musical experience because it brings us joy.
"Piano Notes" is overflowing with this joy, that of a man who has been thinking about, writing about, and playing music for more than 60 years now. And Rosen is so successful in conveying the pleasure the musical experience has to offer, that in reading his new book, we feel it too. We smile and laugh out loud at his comical and endearing anecdotes about music performances and performers, competition juries and contestants, and conservatory students and teachers alike. First and foremost, reading "Piano Notes" is a pure pleasure, like eating good dessert and sharing thoughtful conversation with friends. As such, it calls less for a critical review than for a reflection on and discussion of its ideas.
Of course there is more here than mere pleasure. In between the personal experience and the occasionally sardonic wit lie some of Rosen's most important thoughts and ideas: the qualities of the piano that have attracted composers to it for 200 years; how the tactile experience of playing the piano impacts the way we hear our own performances and others'; the physical limitations of the piano, and their relevance to performance and the realization of music; the effects of the conservatory system on musical individuality; the importance of sight-reading and a deep knowledge of the piano literature; considerations for live and recorded performances; and a survey of differing piano styles from composer to composer throughout the years.
Rosen has, of course, discussed many of these ideas elsewhere (see "The Classical Style", "The Romantic Generation", his essays for the New York Review of Books, some of which appear in "Critical Entertainments", and, more recently, "A Short Companion to Beethoven's Piano Sonatas" and a lecture entitled, "Tradition Without Convention"), but in "Piano Notes" they are given particularly lucid, if brief, treatment, and, thankfully, are free of some of his more grating tics of style. (I must admit that they are endearing, as well. For example, Rosen is usually unrelenting with his superlatives; the construction "no piece demonstrates better..." appears hyperfrequently in some of his earlier books. While I was pleased to see more "variety" (for lack of a better word) in his expressions of praise this time round, I did begin to worry about two-thirds of the way through the book when I hadn't come across it once. I was relieved when it finally arrived, on page 209. Odd though it may seem, such is the complex relationship between a reader like me, and someone as well-written as Mr. Rosen, quirks and all.)
Much of "Piano Notes" is, as its title would suggest, focused on particular piano works (fortunately, all of which I am familiar with), or on the deliciously tactile piano experience (also something I am familiar with); indeed, I feel it would be hard for a non-pianist to enjoy this book as much as I --or any other pianist-- could. Almost every sentence spoke directly to me, was an echo of something I have felt, thought, said, or written at some time about the piano. I should point out, though, that while non-pianists may not be able to relate to some of Rosen's particularly "piano-centric" experiences, anyone with a love for and appreciation of music will find something to enjoy here: his main arguments are supported by his experience with the piano, but are always applied more broadly to music in general.
As a 20-year-old amateur --though I staunchly defend and cling to my snobbish 'student' status, as well-- pianist and music theorist who spends a good deal of time thinking critically about music, Rosen's insightful books and thoughtful performances have always resonated with and been an inspiration to me. Throughout adolescence, I never found a teacher or mentor I wanted to study with --in my experience, thinking about music is not something that appeals to most musicians-- and thus my musical journey has typically been characterized by a sometimes-lonely independence. When reading Rosen's books, perhaps this latest in particular, I am struck with a bit of jealousy for those one-time students of his, and indeed those of any of the excellent teachers he describes in "Piano Notes": as far as thinking musicians like Rosen are concerned, the musical world is frightfully barren.Piano Notes Overview

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