Mastering the Art of Performance: A Primer for Musicians.(Book review)

* Mastering the Art of Performance: A Primer for Musicians, by Stewart Gordon. Oxford University Press, Inc. (198 Madison Ave., New York, IVY 10016), 2005. 210pp. $24.95.

This is one of those rare volumes that should occupy an honored place on the book shelves of every serious student and teacher of classical music. Beginning with a broad based definition of performance as an integral part of the human experience, Mastering the Art of Performance: A Primer for Musicians, goes on to deal with the psychological, physical, practical, cultural and even spiritual dilemmas and opportunities familiar to everyone who aspires to a high standard of musical performance.

The book discusses a wide array of topics including self-assessment, motivation, and the over-all physical well-being necessary to maximize and sustain a high level of artistic achievement, including recommended dietary strategies. It also provides valuable insight into the mental and emotional process of preparing for a performance, as well as the challenges of performance itself. A helpful template for evaluating one's efforts subsequent to a performance is also included. Consideration of broader issues relating to the ethics of performance; the challenges of achieving a classical music career in a pop culture that is by and large musically illiterate; the inevitable limitations posed by the aging process; and finally, the metaphysical implications of performance as a vocation--are also addressed in the book.

The style and organization of Gordon's book is exemplary because it is astute without being academic, popular without being insipid, and practical without being Philistine. Throughout the text, Gordon offers preliminary outlines of the material he is about to discuss, as well as bulleted exercises and ...