Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 376
•
Trim: 8¾ x 11½
978-1-5381-1233-5 • Hardback • June 2018 • $117.00 • (£90.00)
978-1-5381-1234-2 • eBook • June 2018 • $111.00 • (£85.00)
William Phemister served as professor of piano at Wheaton College from 1972 to 2007. He has toured as a performer and teacher in over thirty countries and his writing has been published in the American Music Teacher, Keyboard Companion, and SEVEN: Anglo-American Literary Review. He continues to be an active member of the Illinois State Music Teachers Association.
The format is simple: an alphabetical listing, by composer last names, of 1,593 piano concerti with descriptive commentary. There were no chapter divisions in the original edition, but for this edition’s layout and pagination, I thought it more user friendly to actually divide each alphabet letter into its own chapter—especially for making additions and changes to the text. The main body of all the listings is preceded by an Introduction, a Guide to the Listings (including abbreviations used), and Acknowledgments. Following the listings are a Timeline, Indexes, Bibliography of Sources Consulted, Publishers, and Relevant Musical Organizations.
Each listing follows a plan set forth in the Guide to the 1985 edition, using the Samuel Barber Concerto as an example (see attached). For comparison, I give the same Barber Concerto from the new edition, with updated supplementary material, also attached. Not all works have as much information as the Barber. However, in this revised edition, I have been able to flesh out many previously skeletal listings.
Introduction
Guide to the Listings
American Piano Concertos: A to Z
Timeline: a cross-section of American Piano Concertos from 1875 to the present
Indexes:
Works for Two or More Pianos and Orchestra
Works for Piano-One Hand and Orchestra
Works for Piano-Four Hands and Orchestra
Works for Piano(s) and Band or Wind Ensemble
Works for Piano and Strings
Works for Piano and Chamber Orchestra
Works for Piano with Other Solo Instruments and Orchestra
Works for Piano, Media, and Orchestra
Works for Student Pianists and Orchestra
Works by Women Composers
Works by African-American Composers
Works by Foreign-born American Citizens
Withdrawn and Unfinished Concertos
Pianists in First Performances and Recordings
Music Publishers and Relevant Music Organizations
Bibliography
This book. . . will be an invaluable resource for musicians, composers, conductors, music historians, teachers, and orchestras.
— American Reference Books Annual
Phemister has doggedly pursued these many concertos, read them through, and researched critical commentary where such has been available. It is a yeoman effort by a fine pianist, successful teacher, and tireless scholar. One hopes that this book will not only see the light of day, but will cause many of these silent concertos to be heard and appreciated.
— Louis Nagel, Professor Emeritus of Piano, University of Michigan
The American Piano Concerto Compendium is an extremely valuable contribution to several different categories of readers. It is indispensable to pianists, music lovers, and orchestra personnel with any sense of adventure or curiosity toward that vast area beyond the restricted and too-often-performed standard piano concerti. Beautifully organized and researched, with judiciously selected reviews - a wonderful body of information hitherto unexplored.
— Alan Mandel, Professor Emeritus of Music and the Performing Arts, American University, Washington, DC
William Phemister’s extensive, meticulously researched compendium is an invaluable resource for the serious conductor, professional soloist, piano teacher, student, and inquisitive listener. Reaching well beyond the canon of familiar repertoire – and incorporating fascinating “extras” such as composer commentaries and contemporary reviews – Phemister’s catalogue should help stimulate interest in a wide array of unfamiliar, overlooked, or forgotten American piano concertos. An impressive achievement!
— Barbara Schubert, Music Director and Conductor, University of Chicago Symphony, DuPage Symphony Orchestra, and Fine Arts Symphony
1634 concertos are listed here, by 1056 composers. That seems more than we need to know, but there's nothing like completeness. All the information we need about any concerto is given. Naturally the date of a premiere performance (if known) is given, and if there were reviews in major newspapers, they are summarized.
— American Record Guide