Gerald Moore (1) (1899–1987)

Full of amusing anecdotes and name-drops, this musical memoir is like a behind-the-scenes of who's who in music in the early half of the 20th century.

Moore presents a light touch in his writing, keeping to the fun and pithy instead of the musical tendency to romanticise and mythologise musical talents. He is full of praises as well as the occasional barbs (mostly for humorous effect) for all who he's worked with. I wish I were more familiar with all the big names, I bet that it would be extra enjoyable to someone in the know.

I feel like every field needs an excellent communicator to present to the greater public, and I can see why Moore was so popular on the international lecture tour circuit (even doing one in Australia in 1954!). From what I can tell, his collaborators thought highly of his accompanying, and if his writing here is anything to go by, his lectures must have been as informative and as they were enjoyable.

Highly recommended to all musicians, especially those who had ever engaged a piano accompanist, and piano players themselves.

Aside: Damon Runyon got a reference in here!… (mere)

An enjoyable account of the life and rise to fame of the piano accompanist par excellence as he self-effacingly recalls his tribulations in draughty concert halls, primitive recording studios and with amateurish singers and soloists. Moore's perseverance and talent led to him accompanying some of the greatest names in twentieth-century classical music - Casals, Ferrier, Schwarzkopf and Fischer-Dieskau, to name a few - and his admiration for these artists, evident but never fawning, made me want to know more about them (fortunately, I have a Grove Dictionary, so there's nothing to stop me). The author's later musings on such subjects as television and lecture tours are, perhaps, less interesting, but on the whole this is a delightful book which I can warmly recommend.… (mere)