Contents

• The meaning of technique
• The early Clavier methods
• The beginnings of the piano
• Mozart and the early piano technique
• Hummel : the culmination of the Viennese era
• The dynamic Beethoven technique
• Czemy : technique personified
• The early methodology
• The lyricism of Chopin
• Liszt and Virtuoso technique
• The Schumann circle
• The beginnings of modern technical methods
• The Leschetizky influence
• Russian nationalism
• The French school
• Breithaupt and weight technique
• The English school : Matthay; his pupils and colleagues
• Ortmann : piano technique comes of age
• Contemporary technical thought
• The perspectives of an enlightened piano technique
• Appendices. The aesthetic imperative ; Mental and psychological control ; An intellectual grasp of basic technical knowledge ; Isolated movements ; Coordinated movements ; Muscular coordination ; The kinesthetic sense ; Posture ; Means for specific technical development ; Historical concepts and perspectives of piano technical thought