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Piano Lessons: A Memoir
Anna Goldsworthy
2009, 240 pages
Nonfiction
When Anna Goldsworthy was a 9-year-old taking piano lessons in Adelaide, Australia, she was introduced to a new teacher, the renowned Russian pianist Eleanora Sivan. Mrs. Sivan was unlike anyone Anna had ever met. She didn't want her students to play mechanically, but to work hard and embrace what the composer was saying through his music. She said, “Never just playing, but hearing inside!”
The book chapters are each titled with a composer's name. Mrs. Sivan told Anna about their lives and their music. She gave many insights, ” 'The piano is instrument of fantasy, of projection,' she beamed. 'Limited only by your imagination.' ” Through Mrs. Sivan, Anna learned how to “hear inside” and became an outstanding musician. Anna went on to play recitals, and win awards, and now continues Mrs. Sivan's legacy by teaching piano herself.
