Piano Competition: The Story of the Leeds

by Wendy Thompson

Founded in 1963, the Leeds is firmly established as one of the world's great piano competitions. In this history of the Leeds, Fanny Waterman, co-founder with Marion Harewood, speaks to Wendy Thompson... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0571160727
• ISBN13: 9780571160723
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

The essence of international classical piano competition

The Leeds triennial international piano competition is to the UK what the quadrennial Van Cliburn international piano competition is to the USA. The essence of this 1990 book is the dream and impetus of one of the great ladies of the Arts, Dame Fanny Waterman, who reportedly was "unable to sleep one summer night in 1961" and then waking her husband said, "Why don't we start an international piano competition?" The rest, as they say, is history although a history well rendered and documented in the book by Wendy Thompson with Dame Fanny Waterman. So too, although I believe it needs to be strongly reiterated today, classical piano competitions need to be defended because as Dame Fanny Waterman rather 'realistically' points out in the Foreword of the book, ".... but with the breakdown years ago of the patronage system which fostered great soloists of previous generations, the competition ladder remains the only fair and reasonable alternative." Note her use of the word "fostered" versus "foisted" because while great talent is a pre-requisite to being recognized, it is very difficult to get heard and recognized trying to do it alone and a case where the exceptions to success 'waiting to be discovered' remain minimal to the rule. In effect, the forum or competition has its place and despite post competition laundry lists of its "evils" and/or the "dehumanizing" aspects of same. Not to mention the difficulties of competition juror consensus or the inevitable comment post 'any' international piano competition of who was allegedly "robbed" of competition advancement or for that matter the first place win itself. But warts that are de facto inherent in such competitions are, in my view, outweighed by the competition opportunities. Much less the very real pressures, demands and intimidations inherent in the classical piano circuit itself! An excellent read and the realities of the competition and hence most well known by name international competitions are not side stepped but confronted therein. Much of the same would easily and equally apply to the quadrennial Van Cliburn competition. There is another consideration, "stress" does "not" magically disappear when one "makes it" and hence those kinds of things which find their way into classical piano competitions will be ever present later on although how each individual artist deals with it becomes part and parcel of the career process. Think Horowitz! And so many others where it comes as a revelation for others to hear that "nerves" or "jitters" if you will still manifests itself and must be reckoned with even for those of the known and indeed publicly acclaimed virtuoso/virtuosa strata. Doc Tony