Marcel Ciampi held the longest tenure in the history of the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris. In his long career he performed at least 60 solo recitals a year and collaborated with most of the musical legends of this century.

Piano methods have always been contentious subjects. Piano Journey explains in detail, with many musical examples, the never before published method of the great French virtuoso pianist Marcel Ciampi. This is one of the first methods which amalgamated ideas from the Russian tradition, which dealt a blow to the old French school of piano playing and will be of historical and practical interest to more advanced pianists. The book is in part an autobiographical account of the early stages of the authors’ own journey, which includes his perceptions of differences between studying in London and Paris in the mid twentieth century. Drawing upon the authors’ extensive psychotherapeutic knowledge, the book explores some of the issues of performance anxiety and is designed to give encouragement and help to all those who are seeking ways forward with their piano playing. Piano Journey is suitable for pianists looking to advance their studies, either technically or psychologically, and offers support and guidance throughout.

(Amadeus). The undisputed preeminence of Paris as a center of the piano world dates from the early 19th century, and the rigorous professors of the Paris Conservatoire transmitted the characteristic French piano style faithfully to each new generation for some 150 years. First published to critical acclaim in 1992, this landmark study, now considerably expanded and revised, surveys the historical development, performance practices and pedagogical philosophies of this vital school. HARDCOVER.

4936.

This guide to the piano literature for the one-handed pianist surveys over 2,100 individual piano pieces which include not only concert literature but pedagogical pieces as well. Following the introduction are four chapters cataloguing original works for the right hand alone, original works for the left hand alone, music arranged or transcribed for one hand alone, and concerted works for one hand in concert with other pianists, instruments, or voices. Each entry assesses the individual composition, its quality, its difficulty, its particular appeal, and its uses with the composer's name, dates, and nationality, where possible. Also included is a selected discography of commercially produced phonodiscs, compact discs, and cassettes. Instructors and pianists alike will appreciate this exhaustive guide to one-handed piano music. To aid further research, a bibliography of books, articles, and theses about the literature is provided along with a chapter that lists the contents of thirty-six anthologies devoted to one-handed piano music. This unique reference also includes an index.

An essential resource for scholars and performers, this study by a world-renowned specialist illuminates the piano music of four major French composers, in comparative and reciprocal context. Howat explores the musical language and artistic ethos of this repertoire, juxtaposing structural analysis with editorial and performing issues. He also relates his four composers historically and stylistically to such predecessors as Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, the French harpsichord school, and Russian and Spanish music. Challenging long-held assumptions about performance practice, Howat elucidates the rhythmic vitality and invention inherent in French music. In granting Fauré and Chabrier equal consideration with Debussy and Ravel, he redresses a historic imbalance and reshapes our perceptions of this entire musical tradition. Outstanding historical documentation and analysis are supported by Howat’s direct references to performing traditions shaped by the composers themselves. The book balances accessibility with scholarly and analytic rigor, combining a lifetime’s scholarship with practical experience of teaching and the concert platform