The Piano Master Classes of Hans Von Bulow: Two Participant's Accounts

The renowned concert pianist and teacher Hans von Bÿlow gave a series of piano master classes in the summers of 1884Ð1887. Detailed notes of the lessons by Theodor Pfeiffer, entitled Studien bei Hans von Bÿlow, were published around the turn of the century along with a Nachtrag (Supplement) by Jos} Vianna da Motta. In the classes, students played compositions by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Raff, Liszt, and Brahms, and Bÿlow pointed out special techniques and effects that apply to specific measures in the pieces. His remarks ranged from the brilliant to the hilarious, including, regrettably, some insulting comments about women. Richard Zimdars has rendered PfeifferÕs and da MottaÕs often cryptic notes into fully understandable instructions and has transcribed the more than 250 musical examples in the original volume. Particularly valuable is an appendix containing finger exercises from a contemporaneous book by Pfeiffer, now long out of print. BÿlowÕs teaching, which is in the Liszt tradition, is as vital today as it was more than one hundred years ago. Students, performers, and teachers have much to learn from his high standards and artistic insight.The Piano Master Classes of Hans Von Bulow: Two Participant's Accounts, was published 1993 under ISBN 9780253368690 and ISBN 0253368693.