Piano litterature

[pianisten1989]

(Sorry for spamming the Forum)
It's getting closer to x-mas, and I kind of want some litterature about composers.

I've got a great book about Beethoven, but that's kind of it.

Any suggestions for books about Liszt, Chopin and Bach? (Or any other composer..) =)

[communist]

i know plenty of movies and documentary's about them but not any books 

[pianisten1989]

Well, movies are ok to ;P ... or no, not movies, but documentaries

[akonow]

For Chopin, you might be interested in reading Liszt's biography... although I wasn't. For Liszt, Alan Walker's biographies in 3 volumes are fantastic.

[argerichfan]

For Chopin, you might be interested in reading Liszt's biography... although I wasn't. For Liszt, Alan Walker's biographies in 3 volumes are fantastic.

Alan Walker is a must read for anyone interested in Liszt.

Harold Schonberg postulates that the Princess Carolyn Sayn-Wittgenstein may have had a hand in Liszt's biography of Chopin.  In other words, she may have "ghosted" it. 

I've never read it.  I've also never read anything remotely positive about it.  Sayn-Wittgenstein's writings are evidently as alluring as she was as a person. 

[akonow]

I've never read it.  I've also never read anything remotely positive about it.  Sayn-Wittgenstein's writings are evidently as alluring as she was as a person. 

It's an incredible waste of life to read it. I've never read something so episodic and unorganized in my life.

[amanfang]

To the OP,

Yes, Alan Walker's series is great for Liszt, but judging by your post, you need something more broad/general.  I would recommend "Lives of the Great Composers" by Harold Schonberg.  There is a chapter for each major composer and covers from early Baroque up until modern composers of the 20th century. 

[communist]

Well, movies are ok to ;P ... or no, not movies, but documentaries

Than the "Harvest of Sorrow" by Tony Palmer. its about the life of Sergei Rachmaninoff ( 2 hours )

[pianisten1989]

To the OP,

Yes, Alan Walker's series is great for Liszt, but judging by your post, you need something more broad/general.  I would recommend "Lives of the Great Composers" by Harold Schonberg.  There is a chapter for each major composer and covers from early Baroque up until modern composers of the 20th century. 

oh no! I really don't one one of those general books!! I've got some of them, in hope the new one is better than the one before, but no.

I want a book/documentary which tells much deeper than those general.
I have a piano lesson today, I'll ask my teacher about the Alan Walker-series, and about more biographies

[marianne_n]

Than the "Harvest of Sorrow" by Tony Palmer. its about the life of Sergei Rachmaninoff ( 2 hours )

This film is really great! I love it because there are rare videos included, videos that you can't get anywhere else.

As for Rachmaninoff's books one can have a look for A Lifetime in music here:

books.google.ru/books?id=KM-dgfOaIIkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=rachmaninoff

and Life, Works, Recordings here:

books.google.ru/books?id=HwSvhu1kLikC&printsec=frontcover&dq=rachmaninoff&lr=

and Rachmaninoff: The Illustrated Lives of the Great Composers here:

books.google.ru/books?id=pQulqk8Ts70C&pg=PA129&dq=rachmaninoff+photo&lr=&as_brr=3

There you can have a look inside and later buy them on amazon 

[daro]

"Bamboula! The Life and Times of Louis Moreau Gottschalk" by S. Frederick Starr, is a fantastic biography.

yd