The Art of the Piano: Its Performers, Literature, and Recordings, Revised and Expanded Third Edition.

The Art of the Piano: Its Performers, Literature, and Recordings, Revised and Expanded Third Edition, by David Dubal. Amadeus Press (9999 S. W. Wilshire, Ste. 124, Portland, OR 97225), 2004. 476 pp. $40.

As a student at Juilliard, I spent many years in a classroom with David Dubal. His piano literature class was an extension of the, then newly published, first edition of his book, The Art of the Piano. The revised and expanded third edition, which includes a CD of rare piano recordings, is an impressive work of importance to pianists, teachers, students and piano lovers. The fact that this work has been released in a third edition is a tribute to Dubal's knowledge and research.

Like the previous editions, The Art of the Piano is divided into two sections. The first is a biographical dictionary of pianists from Mozart's time to the present. The second section is devoted to solo and concerto piano literature, organized alphabetically by composer. Dubal also has provided lists of exceptional recordings of these works with label information. The addendum in this edition focuses on little-known composers and works, mainly contemporary, that Dubal feels should be considered and explored. The new edition includes more detailed descriptions of standard works and examines all thirty-two Beethoven Sonatas and all forty-eight Bach Preludes and Fugues. Many of the biographical entries also are expanded and updated. The CD included with this edition is a compilation of rare recordings, combining historical performances by well-known and little-known, but outstanding, pianists. While the book is most helpful as a reference, the casual reader can turn to any page and be fascinated.

Dubal warns the reader in the introduction that this volume reflects his own personal enthusiasms and opinions. Certainly, few are as well-qualified as Dubal to discuss pianists and performances, and the long list of references reveals the extensive research he has conducted in this field. The entries in this book, however, do not always clearly differentiate Dubal's personal opinions from historical fact. On the other hand, the opinions Dubal expressed in his first edition, as well as the opinions expressed in his classroom, were among my first invaluable lessons in evaluating pianism. Not only did he freely assert his personal convictions in class, he welcomed creative thinking and argument. One of Dubal's favorite moments was the day a friend of mine vehemently disagreed with a statement Dubal had made and stormed out of the classroom. The fact that a student was able to form his own strong conviction on a pianistic subject was more important than mere agreement. In that spirit, the reader should be enlightened by Dubal's preferences, but feel the freedom to disagree with some assertions. Certainly, the entry for the young Chinese pianist Long Lang will prove to be controversial to some, but most agreeable to others, while exhibiting Dubal's well-informed opinions about great pianism. Reviewed by Jennifer Hayghe, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.