Title: Janos Starker “King of Cellists”: The Making of An Artist
Author: Joyce Geeting
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Chamber Music Plus Publishing
Pages: 202
ISBN: 0-9754734-0-4
Price: $24.95
Publishing Date: 2008
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
During the period of 1963 to 1967, this reviewer was fortunate to attend the largest and arguably best music school in the United States, concentrating in vocal music. The educational atmosphere there was incredible with genius level students and faculty abounding. Music School Dean, Wilford Bain, had put together a faculty team of some of the topmost musicians in the world. Yet, most were some of the top music teachers as well. One of these super performers who arrived on the Indiana University scene a year before I attended was the cellist Janos Starker, whom I knew informally and by reputation.
This musician is considered to be an almost super human professional with enormous teaching loads and world performance schedules that would reduce most peers to tears. This biography does an excellent job of explaining Starker’s roots and career and the important influences on him. The author not only defines his many skills and attributes, but she also explains how and why he is the performer and teacher he is.
His history traces him from a Russian tailor father and uneducated Ukrainian mother to Hungary where the family became literally citizens without a country, with no official documentation or recognition. From his childhood prodigy days through his survival of a World War II labor camp and American carpet bombing, he managed to survive and thrive after the war.
He not only developed his own skills, but also managed to become a keen analyst of players’ physical and emotional problems and knowing how to correct them on the spot with lasting results. The tales of his skill, stamina, strength, memorization skills, and musicality are mind-boggling.
The author made a comparison of five leading cello teachers to fulfill the dissertation requirement for her Ph.D. in music pedagogy. It explains why she chose Starker as her subject for this book, since he obviously impressed her the most of the five. She goes behind his sternly severe public mask to an inner core of genuine love for his fellow man. Her portrayal of Starker’s personality, his many almost James Bond-like experiences dealing with bureaucrats on both sides of the Iron Curtain, his uncompromising personal and musical standards of behavior and performance, and his courage to outspokenly give his opinion of sacred cow institutions and performers who just don’t measure up provides the reader with a clear picture of who and why this incredible man is.
As a lovely bonus, the author includes a musical CD of her own cello performance skills which are smooth as silk. Dr. Geeting proves she knows whereof she speaks about cellists and the competitive classical music scene. She takes us behind the scenes to discover the horrendous stresses of this career field, the massive amount of dedicated work it demands, and the abilities such people are blessed with that place them on pedestals high above the general population. She truly opens a doorway into a world that few people even know exists. Janos Starker personifies a heroic image of those who compete, win, and leave their competitors in the dust. Dr Joyce Geeting communicates this phenomenon in a cogent, fascinating manner. Her biography should be a fascinating read for both those people in the business and those who are aficionados or who are contemplating entering this career field. We rated this fascinating, truthful work five hearts.
Title: Wild Harmonies
Author: Helene Grimaud
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Riverhead Books
Pages: 245
ISBN: 1-59448-927-0
Price: $24.95
Publishing Date: 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 3 hearts
This is the autobiography of a world class classical pianist and her love affair with music and wolves. She broke all the rules in her development years because she sensed what was best for herself. Those who know and love classical piano will really be fascinated with how the author was brave enough to constantly take on musical challenges and not be afraid to teach herself at times. The last portion of the book focuses on her introduction to wolves and how she gradually moved to upstate New York to establish a small wolf preserve. It is clear she identifies with their wild quest for freedom to range and explore metaphorically. We rated this book three hearts.
Title: Producing Hit Records: Secrets from the Studio
Author: David John Farinella
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Omnibus Press & Schirmer Trade Books
Pages: 288
ISBN: 0-8256-7299-6
Price: $17.95
Publishing Date: May 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
Despite what the title would lead one to expect, this is not a how-to manual on recording music. Instead, it is a good overview of today’s music recording industry from the perspective of the record producer. Although it covers some of their favorite techniques, it is much more about who has made it and why and who is on the rise. It is an interesting social commentary on the recent history, current status, and future trends of the recording industry. Sadly, it tends to present a parallel to the negative aspects of the book publishing industry. They both are being driven by budget-cutting bean counting accountants who have stolen the soul of the art and replaced it with crass commercialism—all the time wondering why sales figures keep going down and why independent artists are garnering most of the favorable attention from consumers in the know. If you are contemplating becoming a record producer, you really should read this book first. We ranked it four hearts.
Title: The Native American Flute: Understanding the Gift
Author: John Vames
Illustrator: Leonard Potter and Patricia L.A. Moore
Publisher and/or Distributor: Molly Moon Arts and Publishing
Pages: 94
ISBN: 0-9740486-2-3
Price: $27 (Includes CD)
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
Native American flute music has become an important aspect of the New Age and World music genres. What was once used by young warriors to sound out, quite literally, potential mates, is now used to produce haunting musical albums. In the past, many of the flute “how-to” manuals were written by musicians with little or no formal European music training. This manual closes that gap as the author, a highly experienced music educator, explains the instrument in both Native American terms and notation systems, as well as Western music theory analysis. It does a great job of explaining an almost mystical primitive musical instrument and system in a way that all cultures will understand. The accompanying audio CD is an absolutely necessary teaching aid which aptly demonstrates each lesson line upon line, precept upon precept. We rated this manual and CD a high four hearts.
Title: Here, There and Everywhere
Author: Geoff Emerick and Howard Massey
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Gotham Books
Pages: 304
ISBN: 1-592-40179-1
Price: $26
Publishing Date: March 2006
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
Of the two books on the Beatles singing group I’ve read this year, this is by far the most interesting. Written by the genius recording engineer, Geoff Emerick, who became the primary engineer for the Beatles at EMI’s Abbey Road studios, as well as for many of the other British groups of the 1960s, he became the Beatles personal engineer when they formed their Apple studio venture. Starting his apprenticeship at EMI at the age of fifteen, Emerick rose rapidly up their ranks. He was responsible for inventing radically new recording techniques, set ups, and equipment to capture the Beatles’ special sound.
This is a fascinating look behind the scenes at not only the recording techniques and technology of the time, but of the personalities responsible for putting together a uniquely British sound, remaking the rock and roll landscape for all time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and exclaimed out loud at many of Emerick’s tricks and observations of the people involved. We rated this a high five hearts.
