5 Great Memoirs by Classical Musicians
A well-written memoir is an intimate look into the life and mind of the author. These five books are special favorites of mine as they are written by musicians who share the joys and challenges of lives devoted to making music. They remind me that no matter how godlike they may appear on stages or in recordings, they, too, are human beings who wrestle with the music they create. These books remind me that wherever and however we work to create music, we’re all pursuing the same dream—that of creating beauty and truth through the language of notes.
Every Good Boy Does Fine
by Jeremy Denk
About the book
There are few memoirs that have moved me as deeply as Every Good Boy Does Fine. In this exquisitely written book, renowned pianist Jeremy Denk traces his life in a love letter to music and to the many instructors who formed him into the pianist he is today. “Famous teachers and accomplishments appear in his story, but he focuses on the everyday—the neighborhood teacher, high school orchestra, local conductor. He shares the truth about the trials of artistic practice—hours of daily repetition, mystifying advice, pressure from parents and teachers.” More importantly, he shares the most meaningful lessons of his life, and tries to repay a debt to his teachers. And he reminds us that “we must never stop asking questions about music and its purposes: consolation, an armor against disillusionment, pure pleasure, a diversion, a refuge, and a vehicle for empathy.”
Favorite quote
“This kind of moment in Schubert, simple to the point of breaking, like a fabric stretched thin, represents one of his most important truths—when he connects to the actual experience of life rather than some composed ideal. Life’s narratives are not full; often there is no story, or an inadequate story, not covering the gaps.”
Rough Ideas: Reflections on Music and More
by Stephen Hough
About the book:
Curious to know what it’s really like to work as a concert pianist and perform on all of the best stages in the world? This book by Stephen Hough, one of the world’s leading pianists, is for you. Hough has been has been described by The Economist as one of “Twenty Living Polymaths”—an artist who, in addition to his piano playing, is gifted as a writer, composter, and painter. In Rough Ideas, Hough writes informally and engagingly about music, the life of a musician, people he’s known, places he’s traveled to, books he’s read, paintings he’s seen. He candidly shares his thoughts on controversial subjects such as assisted suicide and abortion, the possibility of the existence of God, problems with some biblical texts, and the challenges involved in being a gay Catholic.
Favorite quote:
“But maybe there is a path shared between great art and great living, which is what religion is ultimately about. To lift us out of ourselves, to point beyond, to awaken a sense of the ‘other’…all of this can flow from music. As nuclear power can keep a life-support machine working as well as destroy a city, so can music inspire us to great things as well as anesthetize us when we have become monsters.”
Conversations
by Steve Reich
About the book
I’ve always been fond of interviews between musicians. In Conversations, living legend Steve Reich sits down with past collaborators, fellow composers and musicians as well as visual artists influenced by his work in the world of contemporary classical music. As a leader of the minimalist movement in the 1960s, his works have become central to the musical landscape worldwide, influencing generations of younger musicians, choreographers and visual artists. He has explored non-Western music and American vernacular music from jazz to rock, as well as groundbreaking music and video pieces. He toured the world with his own ensemble and his compositions are performed internationally by major orchestras and ensembles.
Favorite quote
“The assumption of classical music had been that you sit back in the seat and the music washes over you and it’s all carefully made and perfectly done, and you sit there quietly and don’t do anything. Basically, you’re a receiver. But one of the things that really struck me about It’s Gonna Rain was that the most active thing in the room besides the music was my perception, which was constantly changing.” (Brian Eno)
Music Comes Out of Silence
by András Schiff
About the book
In conversation with Martin Meyer, Schiff takes readers on an intimate journey from childhood in Hungary through to the present day. They discuss a diverse range of topics from his experiences with anti-Semitism and communist rule to his musical training with maestros such as Pál Kadosa and Ferenc Rados, as well as his thoughts on playing techniques and musical interpretation. A collection of Schiff's writings provides the second part of this memoir. In them, Schiff discusses everything from Bach's 'Goldberg' Variations, to his public defiance against nationalistic and racist attitudes.Through both sections of the book, Schiff gives us a glimpse of the thoughts and experiences of one of the greatest musicians of our time, and of “his inimitable art of making music out of silence.”
Favorite quote
“When I occupy myself intensively with the works of Bach or the string quartets of Beethoven, I hear and feel things which can’t be explained in purely rational terms. And so I hope that the music doesn’t simply become extinct, but that each note somehow remains stored in the cosmos, perhaps transformed, but in any case doesn’t become lost.”
Beyond the Notes: Journeys with Chamber Music
by Susan Tomes
About the book
Published nearly 20 years ago, Beyond the Notes continues to be a favorite memoir because of the beauty of Tomes’ writing, and the truthfulness of her experiences gleaned from a lifetime of rehearsals, concerts and recordings. This consummate chamber musician—a founder member and the pianist of both Domus and the Florestan Trio—writes of the challenges and the joys of working with others, life on the road, and the passion to share great music with audiences in conventional (and unconventional) settings.
Favorite quote
“Physicists now tell us that the universe, as well as being full of the matter we can see, is full of dark matter that we can’t see, but which is vital in some mysterious way. The dark matter is observable because of its gravitational effect. In music, notation is the matter we can see. The spirit which lies beyond it is the dark matter. It can’t be defined, but without it, there is no music.”