The Complete Collaborator ─ The Pianist As Partner

Take more than forty years of partnering celebrated soloists in concerts all over the world, add nearly thirty years of teaching the art of accompanying, and you have the qualifications for such an audacious title as The Complete Collaborator. All the tools for understanding and executing first-class collaborative piano are here, paired with audio recordings of many of the musical examples performed by the author himself, along with two vocalists, on a companion website.

The obvious topics: breathing, languages, flexibility, and creating a collaborative atmosphere are discussed at length, articulated clearly for the curious novice and proving beneficial even for the experienced professional. In addition, two significant chapters deal with orchestral accompaniment, reflecting today's requirements for any professional accompanist. Oft-neglected details such as beginning a piece together, telling stories with piano solos, tuning, and balance between the players are also covered herein.

Dubbed the "Dean of Accompanists" by the Los Angeles Times, this teacher of sold-out masters' classes presents his material clearly and incisively, but always with the humor and wit for which he is known. Whether it be read by the curious novice, the amateur who wants to accompany as best he can, or the experienced professional seeking confirmation or a new look at the role of any partner, Martin Katz's The Complete Collaborator is all one needs.

Martin Katz is an Arthur Schnabel Collegiate Professor of Collaborative Piano at the University of Michigan. He has been dubbed "dean of accompanists" by The Los Angeles Times, was the 1998 recipient of Musical America's "Accompanist of the Year" award. He has given recitals at Carnegie Hall, appearances at the Salzburg Festival, tours in Australia and Japan and performances at La Scala, the Paris Opera and the Edinburgh Festival. His work has been recorded on the RCA, CBS, Cetra, BMG, EMI, Phillips and Decca labels. The Metropolitan, Houston and Ottawa operas have performed his editions of Baroque and bel canto operas of Handel, Vivaldi and Rossini. At Michigan, he instructs ensemble pianists, coaches singers, teaches vocal repertory, and conducts opera productions.