The Unashamed Accompanist

London, England: Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew, LTD, 1944. Third Impression [stated]. Wraps. Fair. [10], 77, [1] pages. Some wear and discoloration to text; name of previous owner written inside front free endpaper and rear endpaper. Inscribed by the author on the following page. Inscription reads: Best Wishes to the I.M.T. Gerald Moore.
Topics covered include Author's Preface and Conclusion. Chapters include Partnership; Preparation; Practicing; Rehearsing; The Artists' Room; Performance; Bad Habits; Sight Reading and Transposition; Orchestral Accompaniments; Folk Song Accompaniments; Piano and Violin Sonatas; and Accompanying the Strings. Gerald Moore CBE (30 July 1899 - 13 March 1987) was an English classical pianist best known for his career as an accompanist for many distinguished musicians. Among those with whom he was closely associated were Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elisabeth Schumann, Hans Hotter, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Victoria de los �ngeles and Pablo Casals. Moore gave lectures on stage, radio and television about musical topics. He also wrote about music, publishing volumes of memoirs and practical guides to interpretation. Moore was so well known as an accompanist that Myra Hess invited him to give a talk about his profession at the National Gallery. The pianist Joseph Cooper wrote of this, and later similar talks, "He revealed a sense of verbal timing of which any professional comic would be proud. His unique blend of wit and wisdom not only pleased the cognoscenti but also won over people who had no idea that classical music could be fun." Moore's first book, The Unashamed Accompanist, had its origins in these talks. The author wrote this book in the hope that it might indicate the lines along which a would-be follower of the art of accompaniment should work. His chief object is to induce more piano students or amateur pianists to take up accompanying for their careers or for their pleasure.