46 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011
Eleven new contributing authors include Vanessa CornettMurtada,
Jo Ellen De-Vilbiss, Lee Evans, Carol Flatau, StevenHesla, Pete
Jutras, Karen Koch, Karen Krieger, GeorgeLitterst, Suzanne Schons,
Paul Sheftel and Ruth Slencznska.Their discussion of current topics
includes community musicschools, jazz, pedaling, adult students,
performance anxiety,technology and brain research, among
others.
The 48 chapters and 617 pages of the “new and expanded”Creative
Piano Teaching encompass the broad overview ofteaching the young
pianist, the advancing pianist and theadult pianist. The added
sections on research and historicalperspectives, and specific
topics such as teaching technique,fingering and memorizing allow
the text to be an all-encom-passing resource for piano pedagogy
teachers and students.Independent teachers will also find the text
an invaluableresource for their teaching and performing. —Reviewed
byBarbara Fast, NCTM, University of Oklahoma
8 English and German Diction for Singers: A ComparativeApproach,
by Amanda Johnston. Scarecrow Press, 2011.
www.rowman-littlefield.com; 295 pp., $49.95.
“It is through lyricdiction that singers areable to
communicatethe wishes and desiresof the poet, as well asthe
composer.” Withthis important openingstatement AmandaJohnston leads
us on ajourney through a sig-nificant aspect ofsinging: lyric
diction.Canadian collaborativepianist Johnston is onthe faculty of
theUniversity ofMississippi and is avocal coach and spe-cialist in
comparativediction. She is also onthe faculty at Lied Austria, an
intensive international summerprogram for singers in Austria. This
book shows Johnston’sextensive background in lyric or singing
diction and also inthe German language.
An important aspect of English and German Diction forSingers is
that it explains the Neue Rechtschreibung, the com-plete overhaul
of the German language, completed in 2006,which modernizes the
German language. Most texts are cen-turies old, yet singers must be
familiar with the differentmanners of pronunciation to perform in
German. As a singer,living and performing in Germany and teaching
bothGerman and American students, I particularly appreciate
thisexcellent source of diction.
The book is divided into two sections: English andGerman,
comparing the two languages along with informa-tion on matters such
as commonalities, syllabification, wordstress and linguistic
history, and a glossary of terms. Each
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AMERICAN MUSIC TEACHER 47
section provides an accessible guide tothe principles of English
and Germandiction. There are various exercises inpronunciation.
Clear and useful expla-nations are made of aspects of diction,such
as vowel placement and execu-tion, emphasis on the characteristics
ofvowel length, and the differencesbetween spoken and sung sounds.
Thisis combined with IPA exercises, whichlogically progress through
the compli-cated field of lyric diction. The IPAexamples and
exercises help provide anexcellent reference source for IPA
sym-bols and practice. A delightful sectionis also the tongue
twisters in Englishand German, which are excellent prac-tice. A
section on German opera dic-tion is also included which helps
instrategies for projecting the voice overan orchestra and in a
large hall.
This book can be used for variouscourses of study for singers
and is alsoa good reference work to possess forany singer or coach
as a valuable toolfor preparing a vocal performance. Inaddition it
can be used by ESL stu-dents and also for undergraduate andgraduate
studies either in separateEnglish and German diction courses or
as a combined course. —Reviewed byDonald George, The Crane
School ofMusic
Memoirs of a Piano Pedagogue: TheExtraordinary Life and Times
ofGeorge Kochevitsky, by AlbertSquillace. Albert
Squillace-PrimaveraBooks for the George A. KochevitskyEstate, 2010;
495 pp., $35.00.
George Alexandrovich Kochevitskywas considered by many musicians
tohave been one of the greatest pianopedagogues of the 20th
century. Hislife story was truly remarkable. Thestory behind the
creation of this bookis intriguing. Photographer AlbertSquillace
was asked to take a series ofphotos of Kochevitsky, then age
83.After several sittings, Kochevitskybegan to talk about his life.
Squillacefound his story so compelling that hebegan recording his
life recollectionsonto 35 cassette tapes over the courseof seven
years.
The book is a truly fascinating set ofremembrances of
Kochevitsky’s life inRussia, Germany and America. Eachtape
represents one chapter and is tran-
scribed verbatim; through the frequentgrammatical errors, the
reader canimagine being in the room and hearingKochevitsky. The
chapters are looselyarranged in chronological order; how-ever,
Kochevitsky often changes fromone subject to another. The
verbatimformat reveals many strengths as well asweaknesses. Very
valuable are suchimportant historical and musical details
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