The book offers a deep analysis of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, focusing on each of the thirty-three pieces. Alfred Kanwischer, a music scholar and pianist, explores their unique characteristics, personalities, and contributions to the overall work. The examination highlights the use of counterpoint, particularly in the fugal variations, showcasing the baroque elements in Beethoven's compositional techniques. This detailed study reveals the intricate relationships between the pieces and their broader musical influences.
Egon Petri, one of the most admired musicians of his generation, brought the sensibilities of the nineteeth century to his students in the mid-twentieth century. In his youth, his parents’ home hosted the likes of Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Clara Schumann, and he studied with Ferruccio Busoni and other great musicians of the prewar and interwar periods. As a prolific and magisterial pianist, he performed prodigious programs throughout Europe and Russia, both solo recitals and concerts with the great orchestral conductors of the time, before settling in Oakland, California in the United States. With ongoing interest in Petri’s life, artistry, and teaching intensified by a re-release of his 1929–1951 recordings, Alfred Kanwischer returned to transcripts of interviews he had conducted with Petri in the period 1960–1962 to create this engaging narrative, replete with treasured memories and extensive direct quotations revealing Petri’s charm, humor, and wisdom. The narrative is divided into chapters focusing on Petri’s youth, influences, performance artistry, and teaching, with engaging interludes on conductors and “dream pianos.” Fans of classical music will find the world revealed in this book fascinating, while pianists and piano teachers will find it useful and inspiring. A facsmile of a booklet detailing Petri’s concert repertoire during the period 1892–1929 is also included.
