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Caroline Benser

In At the Piano: Interviews with 21st-Century Pianists, Caroline Benser explores the kaleidoscopic world of 21st-century pianism through a series of extended interviews with eight major pianists: Leif Ove Andsnes, Jonathan Biss, Simone Dinnerstein, Marc-André Hamelin, Stephen Hough, Steven Osborne, Yevgeny Sudbin, and Yuja Wang. The pianists represented here are not only a virtuosos on their instrument, renowned for their renditions of classic works by Bach, Beethoven, Liszt, Debussy, and Bartók, they are also dedicated to advancing pianism, commissioning and performing works by living composers as well as revisiting and re-exploring musical possibilities neglected by their predecessors. Interviewees talk with Benser about such matters as their first experiences at the piano, the critical role played by their earliest teachers, the literature they play, the instruments they prefer, the meaning of musicianship to them, and the joys and difficulties of a professional career doing what they love. Teachers, students, and amateur pianists alike will learn about new and lesser-known piano literature; newly developed instruments that have extended the range of the keyboard; the phenomenal rise of pianists in such countries as China; and new research on pianists' injuries and healthy playing. At the Piano is written not only for the specialist and non-specialist pianist but also for all musicians and general music lovers [Publisher description].

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Linda Dahl

"Linda Dahl, granted unprecedented access to the large Williams archive, has given us the whole of William's very full life, from her often harrowing days on the road to her tumultuous marriages and love affairs, from the ups and downs of her unique fifty-year career to the remarkable spirituality that came to inform both her daily life and her music. This is a portrait of one of our least understood and most important musicians."--BOOK JACKET.

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Henry A. Pochmann and E. N. Feltskog

"Mahomet and His Successors," a book by Washington Irving published in 1850, provides a historical overview of the life of Muhammad and his successors, aiming to present a digestible narrative of the Prophet and Islamic traditions for a general audience. Here's a more detailed breakdown: Author: Washington Irving, a prominent American author known for works like "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". Publication Date: 1850. Focus: The book explores the life of Muhammad (also spelled Mahomet in the title) and the individuals who followed him, offering a historical account of Islam's early development. Intended Audience: Irving aimed to create a work suitable for a family library, presenting the facts and traditions surrounding Muhammad in an accessible and flowing narrative. Content: The book includes both historical facts and the legends and traditions that became part of Oriental literature, along with a summary of Muhammad's faith. No Claims to Novelty: Irving states that he doesn't claim to present groundbreaking research or new facts, but rather to make the known information about Muhammad and his successors easily understandable. Background: Irving began researching the topic as early as 1827, while working on his biography of Christopher Columbus.

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Michael King

In Being Pakeha Now, Michael King carries the cultural debate forward. While recognising and respecting the place of Maori in New Zealand, he argues that Pakeha too belong inescapably to this country and have no other home. Just as imported East Polynesian ingredients were eventually transmuted into Maori culture, so the attitudes and values carried by Europeans have been transformed here in interaction with forest, mountain and sea, and with Maori. They have coalesced into a second indigenous culture, that of Pakeha New Zealanders. The wooden church and the macrocarpa, King asserts, are as much a part of the spiritual and physical landscape of Aotearoa New Zealand as the meeting house and the cabbage tree. ..."--Back cover.