The Pianist's Dictionary
by Maurice Hinson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Maurice HinsonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-09-03
ISBN: 0253216826
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Book Reviews of The Pianist's Dictionary
Book Review: Loving the Piano
Summary: 5 Stars
It isn't often that a reader turns to a dictionary for pleasure. But Maurice Hinson's new work, "A Pianist's Dictionary" (2004) is a rare exception to the rule. Hinson is Senior Professor Emeritus of Piano at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has written a number of highly-regarded reference works for piano, particularly his "Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire". The "Pianist's Dictionary" is not only a reference work, but it is also a joy to read. It was a pleasure to work through this volume, to learn new things about music and the piano and to be reminded of things I already knew. I have been an amateur pianist since adolescence and throughout my adult life, and this book struck many chords.
There will be something for every pianist, teacher, and music-lover in this book. The entries cover composers, works of music, performers and teachers, literature about the piano, performance and interpretive markings, and much else. It is a fine reference but it is more. It will stir memory and thought.
Here are some examples of what I found in the book. In 1974, Reginald Gerig published an outstanding study, "Famous Pianists and Their Technique" discussing the history of theories of playing the instrument. I was familiar with the book when it came out but haven't thought much about it since. There are entries in Hinson's dictionary for the book itself (p.52) and for Gerig (p.64) Reading the entries brought back memories and made me want to pursue Gerig's book again.
To take another example, I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and have a soft spot in my heart for the pianist Ralph Votapek, who when I was a teenager inspired the city by winning the Naumberg Award and the first Van Cliburn competition. I met Votapek briefly last year when he played a recital of Debussy at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. There is an excellent entry in Hinson's book on Ralph Votapek (p. 206) which brought back my pleasure at remembering him win his competitions, meeting him years later, and hearing him play.
I recently read a book which described a passage in Brahms's second string quintet as a "roulade". I was embarassed not to know the term. But it appears in Hinson's book ("A brilliant run; ornamental florid passage") and I was able to hear the piece, pick out the roulade, and increase my knowledge and enjoyment of the music.
A composer that fascinates me in Leo Ornstein (1892-2002), an immigrant to the United States who abandoned a virtuoso peforming career to devote himself to avant-garde composition and teaching. (A selection of his piano music appears on the Naxos American Music series.) I was happy to find a detailed entry on Ornstein in Hinson's book (p. 126).
Every lover of music or the piano will be able to read this book and find his or her own similar examples. This book is a great reference and a great way to remember or find music that moves the heart and memory. Many readers will enjoy thinking about the entries in the book and, perhaps, also about the entries that might have been in it. I found one small error worthy of note. In the course of a discussion of Charles Ives, (p.85) Hinson states that pianist Ralph Kirkpatrick was a "tireless advocate" to bring Ives's piano music to public attention. Ralph Kirkpatrick was a harpsichordist best known for his work on Scarlatti. John Kirkpatrick was Ives's champion. Both Ralph and John Kirkpatrick have their own entries in Hinson's book (p. 92) where the matter is set aright.
Any lover of the piano will enjoy Hinson's dictionary.
Summary of The Pianist's Dictionary
The Pianist's Dictionary is a handy and practical reference dictionary aimed specifically at pianists, teachers, students, and concertgoers. Prepared by Maurice Hinson, the best-selling author of Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire, the work explains pianistic terms and performance directions clearly and concisely, with illustrations and brief musical examples. Hinson includes succinct entries concerning famous piano pieces and composers, leading performers and teachers, and piano makers?making The Pianist's Dictionary the perfect reference for compiling program and liner notes. The volume collects many of Hinson's most useful ideas that have appeared in his popular lectures and masterclasses over the years and have not been published elsewhere.
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