Overview

How to approach or build a sound image from a completely unknown material? What decisions must the interpreter make to bring this image to life? In an attempt to answer these questions, Pianists and the Music of their Time: Facing the Unknown is based on a series of interviews with renowned pianists (Claude Helffer, Roy Howat, Ursula Oppens, Ian Pace, Anne Piret) responsible for the creation of works by Elliott Carter, Claude Debussy, André Riotte and Iannis Xenakis. The pianists' discourse is illustrated by musical examples, linking the visible, that’s to say, the score as a starting point and reference point, and the invisible, meaning the music transmitted by the composers to the performers. The individuality of their choices, and certain similarities, emerge: the combination of several analytical methods based on an unconventional approach; the implicit presence of gesture, crucial for the elaboration of the musical discourse in concert; the open-mindedness; the desire to discover the music composed around them; the availability to present it to the public. As these characteristics have been observed throughout history, a perspective is offered on the beginning of the 20th century, with the press of the time reflecting the important changes in musical language, but also in the criteria of listening and taste: by comparing the reactions and practices of the 20th and 21st centuries facing the unknown, the author guides the reader into the heart of a vast, unexplored universe of sound.

Full Product Details

Author:   Zélia Chueke ,  Stephen Thomson Moore
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint:   Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN:  

9781666958096

ISBN 10:   1666958093
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   22 January 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures Foreword by Jean-Yves Bosseur Acknowledgments Chapter 1 Facing the Unknown Chapter 2 Historical Perspective and Access to the Facts Chapter 3 At the Beginning of the Century Chapter 4 Five Pianists and the Music of Today Chapter 5 Ursula Oppens and the Premiere of Night Fantasies by Elliott Carter Chapter 6 Roy Howat and the Premiere of Claude Debussy’s Les soirs illumines par l'ardeur du charbon et de l'Étude retrouvée de Claude Debussy Chapter 7 Anne Piret and the Premiere of André Riotte’s Inventions nos. 10 and 15 Chapter 8 Claude Helffer and the Premiere of Erikhthon by Iannis Xenakis Chapter 9 Discussion Chapter 10 New Music, New Parameters Appendix A. Erikhthon’s scores and sketches Appendix B. About interviewed pianists Appendix C. For further reading Bibliography Index About the Author

Reviews

""With vast erudition, Zélia Chueke presents a vivid account of 20th century pianists' involvements with new music. An indispensable book to understand the relations between composers and performers of the last century."" * Marc Battier, emeritus professor, Sorbonne University *

""With vast erudition, Zélia Chueke presents a vivid account of 20th century pianists' involvements with new music. An indispensable book to understand the relations between composers and performers of the last century."" * Marc Battier, Emeritus Professor, Sorbonne University *

Author Information

Zélia Chueke is a pianist, associate researcher at IReMus (Institut de recherche en musicologie), permanent researcher at the Observatoire Musical Français, Sorbonne University (2002-2013), and founder and head of the Groupe de recherche Musiques Brésiliennes as well as the International Exchanges on Music Theory and Performance project.

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