We knew from her recordings that Susan Tomes is a superb chamber player;
now we know that she's a superb writer too. Michael Church,
INDEPENDENT
In this widely acclaimed volume, Susan Tomes, a rare example of a
leading musicianwho writes about the craft of performance, describes her
experience of twenty years of rehearsal, concerts and recording.
We knew from her recordings that Susan Tomes is a superb chamber player;
now we know that she's a superb writer too. Michael Church,
INDEPENDENT
She is as sensitive an observer and as subtle a writer as she is one of
our finest chamber musicians...This is a book that should be read by
practising musicians and music-lovers alike: here's one performer who
really can communicate in words as well as music. JAMES JOLLY,
GRAMOPHONE
Susan Tomes's bookgives you an intensely illuminating picture of the
life of a pianist...she is a brilliant writer...Just as she magnetises
with her playing, so too with her words. EDWARD GREENFIELD, GUARDIAN
In this widely acclaimed volume, Susan Tomes, a rare example of a
leading musician who writes about the craft of performance, describes
her experience of twenty years of rehearsal, concerts and recording. Her
performing life has been centred on chamber music and the need to
communicate it fully to an audience hungry for meaningful musical
experience. She was a founder member and the pianist of both Domus and
the Florestan Trio, award-winning groups at the top of their field. Part
One is a series of diaries describing their travels and performances:
Domus in the 1980s with its own portable concert hall, struggling to
create the conditions for informal but intense concert performances, and
the Florestan Trio, currently one of the world's finest piano trios.
Part Two is a collection of thought-provoking essays about teachers,
making records, practising and rehearsing, audiences, earning a living,
and the particular challenges of being a concert pianist. Beyond the
Notes gives an unusually candid view of the complexities of a life in
music.
SUSAN TOMES, alongside her packed concert schedule, is a frequent
contributor, on music and other subjects, to a number of publications.
