Product Description
A biography of the piano virtuoso, peppered with quotes from Horowitz himself, describes the musician's 1986 homecoming to the U.S.S.R., childhood in Kiev, experiences as a Jewish student at the Moscow Conservatory, and more. 20,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

If you love Horowitz you will also want to read this book.
Of course, the greatest testimony to Horowitz that we have left are his recordings.Nothing could capture the magic of a live performance with this genius.I have heard hundreds of magnificent pianists, but there was truly something special about the sound Horowitz made at the piano.He had more shades and colors than anyone else.And I have never heard anyone play with such a soft and quite sound that still had this ability to fill a large hall like Hill Auditorium.I believe it was his ability to play so soft that made his ability to play loud seem so much more powerful than anyone else.

Still, we like to read about his life.This is a good book life treatment of his life.Since you can pick it up used for a few dollars, you should do it.We get to learn about his life and travails (and he had many).We get lots of anecdotes that are certainly worth re-telling.Schonberg also gives us a better idea of what the life of a performing artist is and the stresses of life on the road.

The author also provides an interesting discography that gives us a great idea of what his recording career was like.Of course, in our time of CDs, not too many of us are going to seek out vinyl, but it provides ideas of what to look for on CD.

A must for all Horowitz fans
This biography of the legendary pianist is very impressive and interesting to read -- what is interesting is the life and anecdote of the pianist; what is impressive is the style of the author. It is a detailed accountpunctuated by humor and insight.On the other hand, compared to the 'GreatPianists'(also by Mr. Schonberg), the author's stylistic whimsical jokesare handled with much greater care - perhaps not to cause unwantedbitterness among Horowitz fans! Like Hilary and Jacky, this book dashedthe mystery most people have towards geniuses. The success of geniusesoften results in pain for others, especially those who are close to them --Sonia Horowitz is an acute example. Personally, I find this one of the mosttouching episodes in the book. If Rachmaninov is 'god for many pianists',as Pletnev says, Horowitz is surely idol for them.

Informative, engrossing, a pleasure to read !
At last, an in-depth, informative, engrossingbook whose subject was a giant.........Horowitz.Mr. Schonberg's articulate style, vast musical expertise and genuine account of this amazing virtuoso is a pleasure toreaders of the book...Many thanks, Mr. Schonberg !

Wonderful work
Mr Schonberg demonstrated expert musical criticism and personal devotion to his difficult subject. Biographical information is plentiful and accurate, including insight into Horowitz' everyday life and manners.Musical comments on recordings are somewhate more controversial, with abitterness in respect to Horowitz' last recordings that I find hard tounderstand. Anyway, an indispensable book.

Horowitz admirers will enjoy and treasure this book!
Most biographies are boring, but this one is not! Highly entertaining andhistorically informative, this book is a must for anyone interested inHorowitz's art and life. You won't put it down until you've finishedreading it! ... Read more

Product Description
Evenings with Horowitz details a special friendship between two musicians. The book is a vivid account of their mutual passion for music and the piano. It reflects the struggles and triumphs of Vladimir Horowitz, a flaming genius who was also insecure and fearful of old age and the loss of his powers. In his conversations with the author, the Maestro reveals the agony and the ecstasy of a pianist's career and his love and awe for the great composers whose music he played."Dubal, broadcaster, concert pianist, and faculty member at Juilliard, draws upon his knowledgeable background to produce a fascinating portrait of the brilliant and electrifying pianist Vladimir Horowitz ... Discussions ensued on repertoire, stylistic interpretations, tastes of audiences, other famous pianists, favored composers, and even such non-musical topics as care of animals, modern-day presidents, and American youth. Dubal provides a rare and intimate glimpse of Horowitz and illustrates the precariousness of accommodating the temperament of a genius." - Library Journal ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Interesting friendship
This is not a complete Horowitz biography, and it does not pretend to be. I found it very readable and interesting. It says a lot about Horowitz' and his wife's personalities in later years. Of course it says a lot about the author's own personality as well, but I don't agree with one of the reviewers who say that the author seems "self-absorbed". I would rather use the word "sincere" or "self-exposing", when he discuss the breach in their relations.

Lots of Dubal, little of Horowitz
Dubal's narcissistic, self-absorbed account of his relationship with Horowitz is nauseating. Dubal's "firing" of Horowitz for not treating him as an equal is fascinating - Dubal, a relatively deservedly unknown musician, can't deal with Horowitz' deserved fame. Dubal's jealousy is sad, very sad.

An awful and self serving betrayal of a very important pianist
There is nothing much to say about this contemptible betrayal of a personal trust.This is an awful book that deserves to be avoided at all costs.Better you should pick up a copy of Harold Schonberg's "Horowitz - His Life and Music".I am certainly not the first or hundredth to find this book awful beyond belief.Please avoid it and turn to something other than this self-serving waste of trees.

Reveals as much about Dubal as Horowitz
How do you get nearly exclusive access to one of the most elusive and reclusive artists in the world?You put yourself in a very submissive position, you grovel, you kowtow to him.That's what author David Dubal did, through most of their relationship, and this book is an interesting look at that.

To be blunt about it, Horowitz--by Dubal's own reckoning--was spoiled, self-centered, and manipulative.He was also magnetic, fascinating and capable of great charm, although he seemed to use it mainly when he wanted to get something from Dubal.The two men used each other to a degree here--Dubal as a conduit to the outside world and Horowitz as profile-booster and fodder for his radio program on WNCN--but that's the only way relationships like these can happen, and we owe something to Dubal for lifting the curtain of what went on inside the maestro's house during the last years of his life.It's a glimpse we would not have had, had Dubal not ingratiated himself into the Horowitz's lives.This book isn't on a par with Joseph Horowitz's (no relation) fascinating study on Claudio Arrau, largely because JH and Arrau's conversations were more of a two-way street.Still, this is a fascinating book, dealing with a wide range of subjects, from Horowitz's views of Rubinstein and Rachmaninoff, to his feelings about his homeland, to his reverence for Mozart, whom he describes as "his Number One."We learn that wife Wanda managed every aspect of Horowitz's career except the artistic.NO ONE made artistic decisions for Horowitz, though if the author is to believed (if), Horowitz did take some repertoire suggestions from Dubal.We also learn, not surprisingly, that for all his culture Horowitz was a very limited man in many respects, unable to function even in simple ways in society without help, and ignorant of much of art outside his own realm.

As the book goes on, despite some touching and rewarding moments, we gradually see a resentment building and finally bubbling over because of the way both Vladimir and, even more, Wanda, tried to control and manipulate Dubal.Aside from a jacket blurb for a book, Horowitz never favored Dubal with any reciprocity for the favors Dubal did him.His self-centeredness can't be attributed merely to his being a "genius"; the pianist was reportedly fawned on non-stop as a small child before he even played a note, and grew up with a sense of entitlement.In short, he was spoiled rotten, though in fairness he did suffer hardships, mostly at the hands of Soviet authorities.Marrying Toscanini's daughter probably didn't help things, either.Horowitz could be so incapable of reaching out--or unwilling to reach out--to anyone, that his own daughter eventually committed suicide as a result of his indifference to her.Even his marriage to Wanda appeared passionless.Dubal discusses much-speculated homosexuality but concludes Horowitz was probably never intimate with members of either gender--his feelings and emotions poured out through the piano, and were meant for an audience of thousands, not an intimate one or two.(Ironic, then, that Dubal later bemoans the death of intimacy and the rise of mass-communion with audiences in the afterward of his book.)

"Evenings With Horowiz"--the 2004 edition, at least--comes with a compact disc awkwardly fastened with superduperglue onto the inside back cover.I practically had to rip the cover off to get the disc out.It contains about an hour's worth of conversations with Horowitz that Dubal used on his WNCN radio broadcasts.Horowitz is fascinating, though a little hard to understand at times; Dubal is infuriating as a narrator.Both here and on his "Golden Age of the Piano" DVD (which I've also reviewed) he talkss l o w l ya n dd e l i b e r a t e l y, as though he were addressing a kindergarten class.His six minute intro, before Horowitz starts talking, seems to go on for days.Being that he had his conversations with the maestro late at night, I wonder how Volodya stayed awake.

On a totally irrelevant side note, this book's cover has to be the ugliest I have ever seen.I could do better with a copy of Pagemaker and an hour of computer time.What art director "directed" this illegible feast of gaudy fonts?

Fascinating glimpse into the life of a great pianist
Other reviewers fault Dubal's self-absorption, and while I realize he is quite pleased with himself, I think the book is excellent - delightful to read, full of interesting stories about life with the monster maestro, and displaying the author's considerable musical erudition. There is much to be learned here. As for the ethical question -- when you have been a guest in a famous man's home for a period of years, do you then write a book exposing the flaws of your host? It seems to violate the norms of hospitality, but then, what norms of civil behavior have not been violated in our out of bounds culture? But if David Dubal had not written this book, we piano lovers would all be the poorer. I keep Evenings with Horowitz on a central bookshelf in my library, where I often refer to it -- not least for the valuable discography and insightful comments on Horowitz' recordings. I only wish Dubal had been a guest of Franz Liszt in the 19th century -- what a book that would have been! ... Read more

Product Description
The author from such highly acclaimed books as "Reflections From the Keyboard" details a special friendship between two musicians, covers a lifetime of musical wisdom, and contains countless anecdotes of the musical world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Musically delightful...
I recently pulled this off my shelf and reread it.

Taken as a whole, it is a wonderful, inside look at one of the last century's greatest (if not the greatest) pianists. The maestro's musical knowledge and tastes offer a sincere and many times amusing view from his world. Mr. Dubal takes the warts and all approach (some personal details could have been left out). One can see how much they appreciated each other. While Wanda (Toscanini) Horowitz comes off as quite caustic (the acorn didn't fall far from the tree!) she also came to love Mr. Dubal.

I do believe Mr. Dubal has a love for music. He has a more direct, opinionated style that sometimes puts people off than say a Karl Haas who exuded a certain warmth. But, his Horowitz discography at the end of the book is a tremendous insight into Horowitz's proclivities and a handy guide to his recorded works.

Recommended for serious music lovers and you will certainly learn something about the great composers.

I Love This Book
Growing up and taking piano lessons from a European-trained teacher I would buy every record Horowitz put out and listen to it closely. But reading this book was a revelation. Every great artist has a right to control what they choose to put out in front of the public but Horowitz is like Bob Dylan (a comparison that would have him turning in his grave I suppose) in that there is so much great material the public has no access to. I thank Dubal for writing this book because I found the subjects he discussed fascinating and much of it would not otherwise have seen the light of day. Contrary to some reviewers I am thankful that Dubal puts himself and his opinions upfront because I find them very informed and useful, as did Horowitz himself I might add. I was entranced by the discussion of the Busoni cadenza and how it would up on Horowitz's Mozart recording- this is the sort of detail that only adds to my enjoyment of the record.
It's interesting that genius can go hand-in-hand with a tangled psyche and Horowitzby all descriptions was a difficult man. But the same can be and has been said of personalities as diverse as Richard Feynman, Thelonious Monk, and Phineas Newborn. They give us works of genius and that will last long after the associated baggage is a matter of history. I love this book and every time I go back and reread sections I am immediately driven to replay some of the music. The music will stand the test of time, I have no doubt about that, and I for one am grateful to have more information about it, particularly concerning views and pieces that we would otherwise be in the dark about.

Crescendo of Pomposity
(Note: This review does not encounter Evenings with Horowitz until the latter paragraph; Dubal's Canon of Classical Music and Art of the Piano are taken into account in the former.)

I first came across the name David Dubal when my father gave me a copy of the Canon of Classical Music.An enjoyable, informative read, rather benign, though it showed signs of favoritism (an absurd thing to find in what is essentially marketed to be an encyclopedia).Nevertheless, in it I found a quick, easy reference guide to composers great and small.Interested to see what other work Dubal had done, I next read his Art of the Piano for the convenient cataloguing of famous pianists found therein.Again, it was enlightening, but I repeatedly found unnecessary commentary regarding whether Dubal "liked" a particular performer or not.It's fine to have stylistic preferences, but please save it for the Juilliard cafeteria.I would rather like to know which pianists gravitated to which composers, or who raised the bar technically.I would hate to think that someone will or won't listen to a Brendel or Michelangeli recording because of the author's preferences, which seem to orbit around a bizarre zeal for Horowitz.Not that Horowitz wasn't phenomenal, but Dubal dedicates an unfair amount of space to him in Art of the Piano.

In any case, we come to Horowitz, the actual subject of this review.It was in Evenings that my esteem for Dubal evaporated and my distaste precipitated.To put it bluntly, he is distractingly self-serving in this book.It is very hard to enjoy glimpses of Horowitz the person when Dubal insists on eclipsing him.But don't take it from me- Horowitz himself apparently said to Dubal "You know everything!", so farbeit from me to doubt him.It is not an enjoyable read; on the contrary, it is frustrating, and unnecessarily so.I would recommend this book only for the avid Horowitz fan who knows nothing about the Maestro's personal life.There are fascinating tidbits worth reading, but they are sadly buried.On the other hand, for those who are avid Dubal fans- your ship has come in.

Reveals as much about Dubal as Horowitz
How do you get nearly exclusive access to one of the most elusive and reclusive artists in the world?You put yourself in a very submissive position, you grovel, you kowtow to him.That's what author David Dubal did, through most of their relationship, and this book is an interesting look at that.

To be blunt about it, Horowitz--by Dubal's own reckoning--was spoiled, self-centered, and manipulative.He was also magnetic, fascinating and capable of great charm, although he seemed to use it mainly when he wanted to get something from Dubal.The two men used each other to a degree here--Dubal as a conduit to the outside world and Horowitz as profile-booster and fodder for his radio program on WNCN--but that's the only way relationships like these can happen, and we owe something to Dubal for lifting the curtain of what went on inside the maestro's house during the last years of his life.It's a glimpse we would not have had, had Dubal not ingratiated himself into the Horowitz's lives.This book isn't on a par with Joseph Horowitz's (no relation) fascinating study on Claudio Arrau, largely because JH and Arrau's conversations were more of a two-way street.Still, this is a fascinating book, dealing with a wide range of subjects, from Horowitz's views of Rubinstein and Rachmaninoff, to his feelings about his homeland, to his reverence for Mozart, whom he describes as "his Number One."We learn that wife Wanda managed every aspect of Horowitz's career except the artistic.NO ONE made artistic decisions for Horowitz, though if the author is to believed (if), Horowitz did take some repertoire suggestions from Dubal.We also learn, not surprisingly, that for all his culture Horowitz was a very limited man in many respects, unable to function even in simple ways in society without help, and ignorant of much of art outside his own realm.

As the book goes on, despite some touching and rewarding moments, we gradually see a resentment building and finally bubbling over because of the way both Vladimir and, even more, Wanda, tried to control and manipulate Dubal.Aside from a jacket blurb for a book, Horowitz never favored Dubal with any reciprocity for the favors Dubal did him.His self-centeredness can't be attributed merely to his being a "genius"; the pianist was reportedly fawned on non-stop as a small child before he even played a note, and grew up with a sense of entitlement.In short, he was spoiled rotten, though in fairness he did suffer many hardships, mostly at the hands of Soviet authorities.Later marrying Toscanini's daughter probably didn't help things, either.Horowitz could be so incapable of reaching out--or unwilling to reach out--to anyone, that his own daughter eventually committed suicide as a result of his indifference to her.Even his marriage to Wanda appeared passionless.Dubal discusses much-speculated homosexuality but concludes Horowitz was probably never intimate with members of either gender--his feelings and emotions poured out through the piano, and were meant for an audience of thousands, not an intimate one or two.(Ironic, then, that Dubal later bemoans the death of intimacy and the rise of mass-communion with audiences in the afterward of his book.)

For 30 pieces of silver...
Many review have castigated the author for his enormous ego. Well, I had never heard of him before (or since) - probably the worst thing anyone could say.But I have heard of Horowitz.In fact I have over a dozen recordings of Vladimir Horowitz and consider him the last of the titans in an unbroken chain from Lizst, ending with Horowitz. The Eastern Europe / Russian school will never again be equalled in passion, dedication and technique. The flaws in this book, where to begin?

(1) The smarmy way the author ingratiates himself with the pianist ("I'm your friend") then write this rather gossipy non-biography of celebrities he has met or spoken with.
(2) The gossip - sex, relationships, the inner thoughts of people as if he were a mind reader.
(3) The name dropping..."Yehudi Menuhin...said to me""I received a dinner invitation (from Mrs. Horowitz)""the French tenor, Doda Conrad, once visited me..." Or, preposterously, after the author had played a Schumann piece Horowitz said itsounded difficult and wondered aloud if he could learn it.If he said that John Kerry is an expert on the hourly worker. Give me a break.
(4) The cursory nod toward the music.It was described well - beautiful, mesmerizing, brilliant, etc- but it was mostly surface.I was hoping for something more technical, something different.
(5) The rather short biographical information.Again, almost all surface.

Is there a definitive biography of Horowitz worth reading? Regardless, not reading one is almost preferable to reading this stuff. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Essential Reading on Genius
This is an amazing book!! Thank you, Mr. Dubal. This book is permanently on the table next to my favorite easy chair. Whenever I have a few minutes between this or that, I pick up Remembering Horowitz and dip into a different part. I must have read the entire book at least once and many parts several times already, but I will go back again and again and again.

This book is a MUST BUY for anyone who has ever looked at a piano. I have taught piano for twenty years and played it for 35 years. And this book not only talks about Maestro Horowitz, but, in doing so, discusses the essence of the many facets of piano and music in general. Ultimately, the profound, beautiful, and insightful essays touch on all aspects of life and spirit, just as all great performances do.

Notable are Seymour Bernstein's essay, for personal recollection and an essay on emulation and inspiration; Gary Graffman's memoir that is funny and urbane, in the style of his wonderful I SHOULD BE PRACTICING, his own memoir; and as a defense of Horowitz's showy side, Roger Shields, who finishes by saying,"The study of civilization reveals the mysteries of aspiration, the merging of individual passion with a chaste reverence for tradition and the cyclical unfolding of our achievements. Our time will run its course, and one day another horowitz will be possible." Bravo!

I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. Buy this book and you will not only get a superlative compilation of essays from many cultural perspectives and top-notch writing styles (yes, musicians can write!) but also a deep, loving, discussion of what piano playing means to the soul. It is at is best an exploration of the mystery of what it means to make great, otherworldly music, and what it means to play music in this world. It never pretends to explain this mystery, these artists are too wise for that, but it sheds light for audiences and musicians alike to see more clearly the divine nature of genius.

Bravissimo!!

fitting tribute to a legend
This is an amazing book!! Thank you, Mr. Dubal.This book is permanently on the table next to my favorite easy chair. Whenever I have a few minutes between this or that, I pick up Remembering Horowitz and dip into a different part.I must have read the entire book at least once and many parts several times already, but i will go back again and again and again.

This book is a must BUY for anyone who has ever looked at a piano.I ahve taught piano for twenty years and played it for 35 years.It is a huge part of my life.And this book not only talks about Maestro Horowitz, but, in doing so, discusses the essence of the many facets of piano and music in general.Ultimately, the profound, beautiful, and insightful essays touch on all aspects of life and spirit, just as all great performances do.

Notable are Seymour Bernstein's essay, for personal recollection and an essay on emulation and inspiration; Gary Graffman's memoir that is funny and urbane, in the style of his wonderful I SHOULD BE PRACTICING, his own memoir; and as a defense of Horowitz's showy side, Roger Shields, who finishes by saying,"The study of civilization reveals the mysteries of aspiration, the merging of individual passion with a chaste reverence for tradition and the cyclical unfolding of our achievements.Our time will run its course, and one day another horowitz will be possible." Bravo!

I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.Buy this book and you will not only get a superlative compilation of essays from many cultural perspectives and top notch writing styles (yes, musicians can write!) but also a deep, loving, discussion of what piano playing means to the soul. It is at is best an exploration of the mystery of what it means to make great, otherworldy music, and what it means to play music in this world. It never pretends to explain this mystery, these artists are too wise for that, but it sheds light for audiences and musicians alike to see more clearly the divine nature of genius.

Bravissimo!!
-Robert Murray Diefendorf, author of Release the Butterfly

Beware!
I ordered a copy of this paperback version and mailed the coupon, but the coupon was returned to me as undeliverable! In order to get the interview CD, you have to get a HARDCOVER copy, where you can find the CD attachedinside the front cover. ... Read more

Product Description
1) Sonata No.14 C#min Op. 27,No.2 "Moonlight" ; 1.Adagio Sostnuto - Vladimir Horowitz2) Sonata No.14 C#min Op. 27,No.2 "Moonlight" ; 2.Allegretto - Vladimir Horowitz3) Sonata No.14 C#min Op. 27,No.2 "Moonlight" ; 3.Presto agitato - Vladimir Horowitz4) Sonata No. 8 Cm Op. 13 "Pathetique" ;1.Grave: Allegro di molto e con brio - Vladimir Horowitz5) Sonata No. 8 Cm Op. 13 "Pathetique" ;2.Adagio Cantabile - Vladimir Horowitz6) Sonata No. 8 Cm Op. 13 "Pathetique" ;3.Rondo: Allegro - Vladimir Horowitz7) Sonata No.23 Fm Op. 57 "Appassionata" ;1.Allegro assai - Vladimir Horowitz8) Sonata No.23 Fm Op. 57 "Appassionata" ;2/3 Andante con moto / Allegro ma non troppo - Vladimir Horowitz ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles!Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (Russian: Владимир Самойлович Горовиц, Vladimir Samojlovich Gorovitz; Ukrainian: Володимир Самійлович Горовiць, Volodymyr Samiylovych Horovitz)(October 1, 1903 - November 5, 1989) was a Russian-American classical pianist and minor composer. His technique and use of tone color and the excitement of his playing were and remain legendary. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. ... Read more