Piano Mastery: Talks with Master Pianists and Teachers

The book gathers candid conversations with some of the most celebrated pianists of the early twentieth century, recorded during a summer pilgrimage across Europe in 1913. Readers hear each master describe the artistry behind their sound, the habits that shaped their technique, and the philosophies that guided their performances. These dialogues, originally published in Musical America, are presented in the order they were collected, preserving the immediacy of the original interviews.

Among the voices are Ignace Jan Paderewski, Ferruccio Busoni, and Katharine Goodson, each revealing how tone, legato touch, and emotional depth become a personal language on the instrument. Complementing the conversations are practical insights from two American teachers, Dr. William Mason and William H. Sherwood, who share classroom strategies and a brief overview of a von Bülow class. Sixteen period portraits accompany the text, giving listeners a vivid sense of the era’s musical giants.