Beyond The Notes

Product Description

We knew from her recordings that Susan Tomes is a superb chamber player; now we know that shes a superb writer too. Michael Church
- Independent". She is as sensitive an observer & as subtle a writer as she is one of our finest chamber musicians... This is a book that should be read by practising musicians & music-lovers alike: heres one performer who really can communicate in words as well as music
- James Jolly " Gramophone". Susan Tomes book gives 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 & recording. Her performing life has been centred on chamber music & the need to communicate it fully to an audience hungry for meaningful musical experience. She was a founder member & the pianist of both Domus & the Florestan Trio award-winning groups at the top of their field. Part One is a series of diaries describing their travels & performances: Domus in the 1980s with its own portable concert hall struggling to create the conditions for informal but intense concert performances & the Florestan Trio currently one of the worlds finest piano trios. Part Two is a collection of thought-provoking essays about teachers making records practising & rehearsing audiences earning a living & 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 & other subjects to a number of publications."