Max Rostal – författare

A rich survey of all Beethoven's sonatas for violin and piano.The first in over half a century to be devoted to a detailed analysis of the complete Beethoven sonatas for violin and piano, this book arose from the author's desire to pass on to a younger generation more than sixty years' experience as a practising musician and teacher. Professor Rostal addresses himself to professional and amateur musicians alike, to students and to listeners, all of whom will derive pleasure and enlightenment from his words.Each of the ten Sonatas is carefully discussed, the manuscripts and first and later editions meticulously compared. Musicians will find technical and interpretative problems approached and solved and the music-lover a helpful listener's guide to these ever-popular masterpieces. As the Amadeus Quartet's Preface says of this important book, `It is a "must" for all students and performers, and is a "must" for all lovers of Beethoven.'A renowned violinist and teacher, Professor MAX ROSTAL studied music under Arnold Ros and Carl Flesch. Founder and President of the European String Teachers' Association, he has made many recordings and is the editor of numerous wirks inthe violin repertoire.

The Austrian violinist and composer Jakob Dont (1815-1888) very early became a member of the Vienna Hofburg Theatre, later of the Court Chapel. Although he had made a name for himself as a soloist, he decided in favour of a career in education. For his instrument, the violin, he wrote about 50 works, most of them modern opera pot-pourris and character pieces, which are forgotten today. Apart from the preliminary exercises for Kreutzer and Rohde, his ''Studies and Caprices'' (opus 35), however, have become an integral part of violin lessons. Praised by Joachim, Auer and Flesch, these outstanding studies were edited by Max Rostal in consideration of a modern violin technique and complemented by preparatory exercises and variants.

''The Austrian violinist Jacob Dont (1815-1888) was also a highly esteemed teacher and composer. He wrote mainly major educational works, over 50 of which have become quite well-known. Dont''s ''Etüden und Capricen'' Op. 35 were arranged for the viola by Max Rostal who also added preparatory exercises and variants. ''Etüden und Capricen'' covers all technical demands with regard to arpeggios, double stops, dexterity, change of position, legato, change of string, types of bowing, trills and appoggiaturas, thus laying the foundation for practising any repertoire.