Originally published in 1924, and authored by a renowned pianist and musicologist, this book is a comprehensive study of the history and evolution of pianoforte music from its origins in the early 18th century to modern times. The book begins with a discussion of sixteenth-century English composers for the virginal. Special emphasis is given to works of the Romantic period and to national styles of piano music such as those of Chopin and the Polish school, Liszt and Magyar music, and Cesar Franck and music of The Netherlands. The book provides a bibliography and lists of major collective editions, publishers of piano music throughout the world, and journals for pianists.
Part 1: The Music of the Harpsichord and Clavichord 1. The Story of Pianoforte Music 2. English Composers for the Virginal 3. The Old Harpsichord Suites 4. French Clavecin Music 5: Harpsichord and Clavichord Technique 6. The Polyphonic Style and the Evolution of the Fugue 7. Italian ‘Cembalo’ Music 8. Later English Harpsichord Composers – Purcell and Arne 9. Early German School 10. Handel and Bach 11. The Technique of the Polyphonic Period Part 2: The Music of the Pianoforte – The Classic Period 1. The Advent of the Modern Pianoforte 2. The Evolution of the Sonata 3. Development of the Modern Sonata 4. Haydn and Mozart 5. Clementi, the ‘Father of the Pianoforte’. 6. Modern Pianoforte Technique 7. The Climax of Formal Music – Beethoven Part 3: The Romantic Period 1. Romanticism in Music 2. Decay of the Classical School – Hummel and Others 3. The First Romanticists – Field and Weber 4. The Romantic Movement in Pianoforte Music – Schubert 5. Classic – Romance: Mendelssohn 6. Reflective and Characteristic roman – Schuman 7. Characteristic, Impressionist and Programme Music 8. Lyrical and Poetical Forms 9. Poets of Nature – Sterndale Bennett 10. Poets of Nature – Stephen Heller 11. Poets of Youth 12. The Reflex of Schumann 13. Johannes Brahms 14. The Bravura Schools and Henselt 15. Liszt 16. Two Modern Romantics – Rubinstein and Raff 17. Modern Classicists – Moscheles, Hiller Saint Saëns etc 18. The Modern Contrapuntal Element – Rheinberger, etc 19. Max Reger 20. Smaller Romantic German Composers 21. The Sonata Since Beethoven 22. The Concerto and the Virtuoso 23. Four-Hand Music and Works for Left Hand 24. Variations for Pianoforte 25. Modern Dance Forms for Pianoforte 26. Transcriptions – Preludes and Indefinite Forms 27. Salon Music Part 4: Era of National Music 1. National Music 2. Chopin and the Polish School 3. Magyar Pianoforte Music and the Rhapsodies of Liszt 4. Music in Bohemia 5. Antonin Dvořák 6. Russian Pianoforte Music 7. Austrian or South German Composers 8. The French School of Pianoforte Music 9. Music of the Netherlands – César Franck 10. Swiss Composers for Pianoforte 11. Spanish and Portuguese Pianoforte Music 12. Modern Italian Pianoforte Music 13. Scandinavian Pianoforte Music 14. The Modern British School 15. Pianoforte Music in America 16. A Group of Study Writers – Classical School 17. The Educational Aspect – Methods and Technique.
Biography
Herbert Westerby was a renowned pianist and musicologist.
Original Review of Bach’s ‘Brandenburg’ Concertos:
‘Mr Carrell has written a useful little book… [he] is a reliable guide…’ Music and Letters, Vol 45, Issue 3 (1964).
