Artur Schnabel played, taught, wrote and thought music all his life. One of the great interpreters of the genius of Beethoven as manifested in his piano works, Schnabel would have been a towering figure in the music of any period. In his own he was indespensable and unique.
Born in Austria in 1882, he studied under the world-famous Leschetizsky, himself a pupil of Czerny who in turn was a pupil of Beethoven, which placed Schnabel directly in line of authentic apostolic succession of musical titans. A child prodigy who grew to international reputation as a musician, he lived against a background of social change and political upheaval which inevitably influenced his career and in the end cast its shadow on one of the most serene and affirmative spirits of our time.
A study of his life is essential for musicians as well as laymen who would understand the course of music during this turbulent period. The author brings to this biography a rare comprehension of its subject, a lifelong knowledge of music and the skill of a professional author, all of which make the book an important contribution to the library of musical literature. Many pictures throughout.

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