Sleeping in Temples - by Susan Tomes (Hardcover)

About the Book

Highly acclaimed author Susan Tomes takes up various topics of perennial interest: how music awakens and even creates memories, what 'interpretation' really means, what effect daily practice has on the character, whether playing from memory is a burden or a liberation, and why the piano is the right tool for the job.

Book Synopsis

Highly acclaimed author Susan Tomes takes up various topics of perennial interest: how music awakens and even creates memories, what 'interpretation' really means, what effect daily practice has on the character, whether playing from memory is a burden or a liberation, and why the piano is the right tool for the job.

In several decades as a distinguished classical pianist, Susan Tomes has found that there are some issues which never go away. Here she takes up various topics of perennial interest: how music awakens and even creates memories, what "interpretation" really means, what effect daily practice has on the character, whether playing from memory is a burden or a liberation, and why the piano is the right tool for the job. She pays homage to the influence of remarkable teachers, asks what it takes for long-term chamber groups to survive the strains of professional life, and explores the link between music and health. Once again, her aim is to provide insight into the motives and experiences of classical performers. In this fourth book she also describes some of the challenges facing classical musicians in today's society, and considers why this kind of long-form music means so much to those who love it.

SUSAN TOMES has won a number of international awards as a performer and recording artist, and in 2013 was awarded the Cobbett Medal for distinguished services to chamber music. For fifteen years she was the pianist of Domus, and for seventeen years she was the pianist of the Florestan Trio, one of the world's leading piano trios. She is the author of three previous books: Beyond the Notes (2004) and Out of Silence (2010), both published by Boydell, and A Musician's Alphabet (2006). She gives masterclasses, writes and presents radio programmes on music, and sits on international competition juries. Her blog on www.susantomes.com has a loyal following.

Review Quotes

It is exactly these kind of insights that can give audiences a sense of the musician as human ... And it's exactly why candid books like Sleeping in Temples are so necessary.-- "THE HERALD"

Sleeping in Temples is a captivating reverie of a book.-- "INTERNATIONAL PIANO"

[Susan Tomes's] penetrating intelligence is refreshing in a discourse often reduced to cliché and lazy generalisation ... One has only to think of Tomes's exceptional playing to understand why her faith still burns bright. [Four stars]-- "BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE"

[Tomes] has put in print many of the important thoughts that are in the forefront of a performer's mind and in doing so has left a legacy for the next generation to read and explore. Recommended.-- "CHOICE"

A book that exudes the same warmth and passion for her subject, and life in general, that shines through her much-admired work as a solo and ensemble pianist.-- "THE SCOTSMAN"

Christmas Books Choice, -- "BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE"

I don't usually 'judge a book by its cover', but in this case the cover is a lovely place to start...it's beautiful and credited as a photograph by the author, Susan Tomes. Initially unsure whether the book would be a group of lectures, anecdotes or theories, I ended up feeling I had had a few wonderful conversations, full of humour and insight, a very rewarding read...This is not a solid, solemn book. Anything but.-- "LONDON CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY NEWSLETTER"

One of the Books of the Year, Sheena MacDonald --- "THE HERALD"

Recommended by Alex Ross-- "THE REST IS NOISE BLOG"

Stimulating, insightful, full of ideas and passing anecdotes ... on events drawn from her long career, Tomes brings to the page the same care, fastidious attention to detail and immaculate phrasing that she brings to her keyboard-playing.-- "GRAMOPHONE"

There is a clarity and directness to this book that opens it to music lovers and makes it useful for performers. The writing is full of vivid anecdotes and Tomes proves herself to be a master storyteller throughout.Tomes's dedication to her art is a message to us all.-- "SCOTTISH JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE"

Those bewitched by Tomes's three previous books can prepare for bewitchment all over again ... Fascinating and revealing insights into the business of being expected to memorise music in the solo context ... Editor's Choice [Five Stars]-- "CLASSICAL MUSIC"

Top Ten Books of the Year, -- "CLASSICAL MUSIC"