Repertoire and background

[elspeth]

Don't know if this ought to be on the repertoire board really, as its a broad question about repertoire rather than a technicality or 'please tell me what to play next', but as the repertoire board is apparently intended for advanced pianists, not those of us at a more intermediate level who also have repertoire questions, here goes...

I've been playing 18 months or so seriously, but currently don't have a teacher due to money issues. Love my piano but not enough to get in debt for it...

Anyway, practise-wise I'm doing fine but I need some advice on repertoire and background... now I'm starting to be in a position to think about pieces I want to learn that aren't in the beginners' books I'm realising how limited my knowledge of repertoire is, beyond the really famous works... and also, how woefully little about the history and backgroud of the instrument and its music I know. I need to listen to more piano music and start reading about it too, I think. I've studied flute and piccolo to orchestral level and singing seriously in the past and have always found it really helped my playing to know about what I was doing beyond specific technicalities.

So, I'm looking for recommendations. What composers might it be useful to aquire some CDs of, that you wouldn't generally find on the bestsellers lists? I realise it's a terribly subjective thing, but that's what I'm after - I don't know enough repertoire to have formed my own taste yet particularly, so I need to listen to a broad selection to see what I like, but I don't really know where to start. It's hard to pick composers based on the music I already know as the same composer can easily write very differently for flute/orchestra/voice/piano, those being the repertoires I know or am learning. What books might it be useful to read to get some insight into the background of the piano and its repertoire? I'm looking for sources of knowledge here, not technicalities.

[desordre]

 Dear Elspeth:
 About what you should listen to, here is a very idiossincratic list, based on what I think it's very relevant in the keyboard literature. It's not exhaustive, nor complete, nor the only one, but I guess you will appreciate knowing these composers. So, here it is:

 - The english virginalists (Byrd et alli) of Renaissance;
 - Both southern (Froberger et alli) and northern (Buxtehude et alli) schools of german Baroque;
 - The french clavecinists: François Couperin et alli;
 - The great german masters of late Baroque: J.S. Bach, Handel & Telemann.
 (Between the two later groups you should include Rameau)

 - Pre-classical languages: C.P.E. Bach and D. Scarlatti et alli;
 - The First Viennese School: Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven;
 - Another trends in late 18th-early 19th century: Field, Schubert, Hummel;

 - The Arch-romantics: Chopin, Schumann and Mendelssohn;
 - The great masters of mid to late 19th century music: Brahms and Liszt;
 - The final path of Common Practice: Fauré, Albeniz/Granados, Tchaikovsky/Moussorgsky, Grieg;

 - Early 20th century music in 10 names: Debussy, Schoenberg and Stravinsky; Webern, Ives, Bartok, Prokofiev, Janacek, Villa-Lobos and Scriabin;
 - Mid to late 20th century music in another 10 names: Boulez, Stockhausen, Cage, Berio, Britten, Ligeti, Carter, Ginastera, Takemitsu and Ferneyhough.

 OK, that's it. About some reading material, the best starting point is:
 STOLBA, K. Marie.   The Development of Western Music: a history.

 Then procede to:
 BROWN, Howard M.; STEIN, Louise K. Music in the Renaissance.
 BUKOFZER, Manfred F. Music in the Baroque Era from Monteverdi to Bach.
 ROSEN, Charles. The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven.
 ROSEN, Charles. The Romantic Generation.
 WHITTALL, Arnold. Romantic Music: A concise history from Schubert to Sibelius.
 SALZMAN, Eric. Twentieth-Century Music: An introduction.
 GRIFFITHS, Paul. Modern Music and after: directions since 1945.

 It's just the top of the iceberg, but it's a lot of ice... Any further help that you need, please let me know.
 Best!