Virtuosi

In the literature on piano virtuosos, this is something new. In entertaining essays rich with anecdote, the author peers into the many domains of virtuoso lore. These include the odd practice habits of the greats, child prodigies, encores, seating arrangements, portrayals of virtuosos in literature and on film, and the erotics of musical performance. The defence in the title is there for a reason: for centuries, the artistic merit of performers with superior technique has almost ipso facto been called into question. Mitchell launches a counterattack.Heightening the literary character of the volume, the author includes a few short pieces on, for example, the genesis of his obsession with the piano and its champions, the particularities of concert-going in Italy (where he now lives), and road trips to hear the titans perform. With its personal tone, its wit, and its wealth of entertaining (and enlightening) trivia on the famous and the obscure, this book addresses itself to the lover of serious music. Virtuosi features equally intriguing illustrations: rare portraits of long-forgotten female prodigies, historic concert programs and concert announcements, and still images from a now-lost 1927 film drama about Beethoven.