Arrau on Music and Performance: Piano Book

This book offers something rare: direct access to Claudio Arrau's thinking about interpretation, technique, and the life of a concert artist, complemented by perspectives from peers who knew his artistry intimately. Rather than a theoretical treatise, it reads as a series of intimate conversations that reveal how one of the twentieth century's greatest pianists actually approached the music and managed a legendary career.

Reading these conversations feels like sitting in on masterclasses conducted not through correction but through reflection. Arrau and his colleagues discuss artistry with the kind of specificity and thoughtfulness that comes only from decades of lived performance experience.

Advanced pianists and serious students who want to understand interpretation beyond mechanics; piano teachers seeking insights into performance philosophy; and anyone curious about how master artists think about their craft. The conversations are accessible yet intellectually substantive, making it valuable for both emerging performers and experienced musicians.

This book works best as supplementary reading for advanced students studying major concerto repertoire or preparing recital programs. Teachers can assign relevant passages alongside the scores students are learning, creating a dialogue between technical study and artistic vision.

• Understanding interpretive philosophy and how performers make choices at the score
• Developing practice strategies grounded in musical understanding rather than technical routine
• Building awareness of how repertoire knowledge deepens artistic maturity
• Learning to articulate musical ideas and personal artistic conviction