| Piano Lessons | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Goldsworthy, Anna |
| Country | Australia & United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | Classical music |
| Genre(s) | Autobiography, Music |
| Publisher | St Martin's Press |
| Publication date | 12 October 2010 |
| Media type | Hardcover, Paperback, Audio book, E-Book |
| ISBN | 978-0-312-64628-8 |
| Dewey Decimal | 786.2 GOL |
Piano Lessons is a 2009 award-winning[1] non-fiction book by Australian classical pianist Anna Goldsworthy, Artist in Residence of Janet Clarke Hall (University of Melbourne),[2] and Artistic Director of the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival.[3]
In Piano Lessons, Goldsworthy documents her piano study from a young age under the Russian emigre Eleanora Sivan.[4]
Originally published in Australia in October 2009 by Black Inc., the US rights were sold to American publisher St. Martin's Press[5]
The film rights to the book have been sold to director Ana Kokkinos.[6]
Contents |
Goldsworthy was nine years old when she met Eleanora Sivan, a charismatic Russian émigré and world-class pianist who became her piano teacher. Piano Lessons documents what Mrs. 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. Piano Lessons takes the reader on a journey into the heart and meaning of music.
The book was received positively by Australian critics.[7]
The Australian Literary Review called Piano Lessons a "wonderful story, elegantly told",[8] broadsheet The Age said Piano Lessons 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."[9]
Piano Lessons was shortlisted for a number of awards including Best Non-Fiction at the NSW Premier's Literary Awards as well as Best Non-Fiction at the 2010 Australian Book Industry Awards. Goldsworthy won Newcomer of the Year at the 2010 Australian Book Industry Awards.