Am I too loud? (original 1962; edition 1962)

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. ( )

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