Speaking the Piano
Susan Tomes
Boydell and Brewer ISBN 978-1-78327-325-6 262pp (hb) £19.99 Susan Tomes’s insights as a performer and teacher are fully matched by her literary eloquence: at the piano or on the page, her style is marked by undemonstrative, perceptive and elegant turns of phrase, in every sense.
Drawing on her long experience as performer, chamber musician, teacher and the convenor of a piano club for eager amateurs, she translates with crystalline clarity the elusive question of the multifarious interferences between pianists and the music they wish to express. Physical difficulties, for example: ‘We could all be wonderful musicians if it weren’t for the fact that we have to play instruments,’ as Tomes’s teacher György Sebök used to say. Her solutions are intriguing and inspiring: why not try pretending to be Radu Lupu while you play?
Tomes also tackles controversial topics with equanimity: the influence between Far Eastern and European musicians, for instance, as well as unconscious sexist biases against female masterclass teachers, or why some pianists ‘ham up’ their performances to please the Youtube generation.
Though the book is chiefly geared to pianists, any music lovers would find fascination and entertainment here: there are gems on every page. Jessica Duchen ★★★★★