Piano Lessons is a 2009 award-winning non-fiction book by Australian classical pianist Anna Goldsworthy.
 | |
| Author | Anna Goldsworthy |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Classical music |
| Genre | Autobiography, music |
| Publisher | Black Inc |
Publication date | 2009 |
| Publication place | Australia, United States |
| Media type | Hardcover, paperback, audiobook, e-book |
| ISBN | 978-0-312-64628-8 |
| 786.2 GOL | |
In Piano Lessons, Goldsworthy documents her piano study from a young age under the Russian emigre Eleonora Sivan.
Synopsis
editGoldsworthy was nine years old when she met Eleonora Sivan, a charismatic Russian émigré and world-class pianist who became her piano teacher. Piano Lessons documents what Sivan brought to Goldsworthy's lessons: a love of music, a respect for life, a generous spirit and the courage to embrace a musical life.[1][2][3]
Publication
editOriginally published in Australia in October 2009 by Black Inc, the US rights were sold to American publisher St. Martin's Press.[4]
Critical reception
editThe United States Poet Laureate, Philip Levine, said of Piano Lessons, "I have never read a better depiction of a great mentor and of how true learning takes place. Every teacher of anything should read this book. Twice."[5]
The book was received positively by Australian critics.[6]
James Kenny, writing in the Australian Literary Review, called Piano Lessons a "wonderful story, elegantly told".[7]
Jo Case, writing in The Age, said that it was "multi-layered, rich with meditations on identity, creativity, ambition and achievement; deeply felt without a hint of sentimentality. This impressive debut will surely mark Anna Goldsworthy's arrival as an Australian writer to be reckoned with."[8]
Awards
editPiano Lessons was shortlisted for a number of awards, including best non-fiction at the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[9][10] and the 2010 Australian Book Industry Awards,[11] and Goldsworthy won Newcomer of the Year at these awards.[12][13][14]
Adaptations
editThe film rights to the book were sold to director Ana Kokkinos in 2010.[15]
References
edit- ^ Hyles, Claudia (November 2009). "Mestra". Australian Book Review. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- ^ "Piano Lessons (2009), by Anna Goldsworthy". ANZ LitLovers LitBlog. 17 October 2009. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- ^ "Anna Goldsworthy Interview". readings.com.au. Archived from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
- ^ "Macmillan: Piano Lessons". macmillan.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
- ^ Levine, Philip (8 December 2011). "A Year in Reading: Philip Levine". The Millions. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Reviews". annagoldsworthy.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
- ^ Kenny, James (October 2009). "Anna Goldsworthy's Piano Lessons". Australian Literary Review. 82 (3): 81–82.
- ^ Case, Jo (6 November 2009). "Piano Lessons". The Age: 49.
- ^ "BREAKING NEWS: 2010 NSW Premier's Literary Awards Shortlists". Booktopia. 8 April 2010. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "2010 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards" (PDF). NSW Government. 7 April 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Book awards: Australian Book Industry Awards". LibraryThing.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Piano Lessons by Anna Goldsworthy". Black Inc. 6 March 2023. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ Middlemiss, Perry (20 July 2010). "2010 Australian Book Industry Award Winners". Perry Middlemiss's Home Page. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ Mills, Robyn (Winter 2011). "Goldsworthy graduates leave their mark". Lumen. University of Adelaide. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Development approvals". Screen Australia. 16 March 2018. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
External links
edit- "Anna Goldsworthy", interview with Anna Goldsmith, readings.com.au, 1 October 2009
- "An interview with Anna Goldsworthy", discussion with Black Inc., 29 September 2009
- interview with Goldsworthy (audio). ABC Radio National, The Music Show with Andrew Ford, 2009