Harold C. Schonberg Book order (chronological)

Populárně zaměřená kniha Životy velkých skladatelů od Harolda C. Schonberga, hudebního kritika New York Times, přináší portréty osobností evropské i americké hudby, počínaje Monteverdim, až ke klasikům 20. století, zaměřené převážně na jejich životní osudy, které jsou plasticky podané a okořeněné řadou charakteristických historek i svědectví současníků.

In the new edition of this highly successful book, Harold Schonberg traces the consecutive line of composers from Monteverdi to the tonalists of the 1990s through a series of fascinating biographical chapters. Music is a continually evolving art, and there have been no geniuses, however great, who have not been influenced by their predecessors. The great composers are here presented as human beings who lived and related to the real world. All of the important figures - Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Verdi, Wagner, Mahler, and many others - are included, their lives woven into a fabric rich in detail and anecdote. For this new edition, Schonberg has extended the book's coverage with informative and astute descriptions of later composers. What has not been changed is the character of the book, which remains an object of delight to all music lovers.

On April 20, 1986, Vladimir Horowitz recognized a pivotal moment as he returned to Russia after a sixty-one-year absence. This biography explores his privileged childhood in Kiev, where he began playing the piano at five. It follows his tumultuous years at the Kiev Conservatory, where he clashed with professors and established his individualism. The narrative traces his evolution as an artist and his defection to Berlin amid the Russian Revolution, showcasing his transformation from a provincial talent to a European stage colossus. After his American debut in 1928, he became an awe-inspiring figure, known for his electrifying performances that captivated audiences worldwide. However, the book also reveals his struggles with self-doubt and mysterious withdrawals from the stage. Author Harold C. Schonberg captures both Horowitz's triumphs and his personal challenges, drawing on unpublished anecdotes and taped interviews conducted later in Horowitz's life. This comprehensive portrait presents Horowitz as a man, musician, and icon, providing insights into his unique genius and his significant role among the great pianists of the century.

From Mozart’s fabulous legato that “flowed like oil” to Beethoven’s oceanlike surge, from Clara Schumann’s touch “sharp as a pencil sketch” to Rubinstein’s volcanic and sensual playing, The Great Pianists brings to life the brilliant, stylish, and sometimes eccentric personalities, methods, and technical peculiarities of history’s greatest pianists.Pulitzer Prize–winning critic and author Harold C. Schonberg presents vivid accounts of the artists’ performances, styles, and even their personal lives and quirky characteristics— such as Mozart’s intense competition with Clementi, Lizst’s magnetic effect on women (when he played, ladies flung their jewels on stage), and Gottschalk’s persistent nailbiting, which left the keys covered with blood.Including profiles of Horowitz and Van Cliburn, among others, and chapters detailing the playing and careers of such modern pianists as de Larrocha, Ashkenazy, Gilels, Gould, Brendel, Bolet, Gutierrez, and Watts, The Great Pianists is a comprehensive and fascinating look at legendary performers past and present.

Die Grossmeister des Schach Wie sie spielten, wer sie waren, und königliche Spiel zu höchster Vollendung brachten Von Genies, Geistesheroen und Sonderlingen berichtet diese Geistes- und Kulturgeschichte des Schach.