Discoveries from the Fortepiano:
A Manual for Beginning and Seasoned Performers
Discoveries from the Fortepiano: A Manual for Beginning and Seasoned Performers is a guide for music teachers, advanced music students, and performing artists who are searching for answers to eighteenth-century performance practices as they apply to performing today. Using a variety of primary sources and scholarly interpretations, the book uncovers Classical Era practices and philosophical beliefs, enabling modern performers to craft an authentic, historically influenced style. Gunn surveys and explains eighteenth-century music notational language, and from this develops tools that get at the heart of the otherwise enigmatic sound aesthetic of the era. Through over 100 music examples, Gunn provides specific answers to performance questions regarding period influences on the modern piano, including technique, dynamics, articulation, rhythm, ornamentation, and pedaling. A companion website houses recordings for three versions of each music example that demonstrate different interpretations and deliveries. The reader is encouraged to study the sources, listen carefully, and experiment with the past in the present. Sample lessons are provided throughout the book to offer pedagogical insight for teaching Classical Era Style.
Remarkably researched and engagingly written, Discoveries from the Fortepiano is an indispensable aid to any musician and pianist who seeks both an academically and artistically sound approach to performing and teaching in the Classical Era style.
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