Those unfamiliar with Artur Schnabel (1882–1951) will perhaps be somewhat irritated by the book’s title. Is a pianist not per se a musician? Not necessarily, according to Schnabel. The artist himself propagated his Viennese teacher’s half-joking claim that Schnabel would never become a pianist since he is a musician.
What was intended as an entertaining remark became for Schnabel a lifelong artistic maxim. He wanted to be a facilitator between composer and listener and deplored the common practice he often observed of performers misusing music as a mere venue to display their virtuosic skills at the keyboard. Based on his comprehensive background knowledge, Schnabel founded a worldwide renowned school of piano performance. His concert activities, recordings, music editions and lectures have not only influenced musical thought to the present day, but have had a lasting effect on our concert life.