Anton Heiller: Organist, Composer, Conductor: 116 (Eastman Studies in Music, 116) - Tapa dura

History has already recognized Anton Heiller as a significant figure in 20th-century music, probably the most influential organist of his time. . . .Through his genius and personal charisma, he achieved what others could not: he brought the organ into the mainstream of music where it belongs. Planyavsky's biography delivers this message, while giving a complete picture of Heiller's life and work. . . . Belongs in the personal library of any serious organist. Through this book a great organist continues to interest and also to teach later generations of organists. A comparison . . . demonstrates not only an accurate but sensitive treatment of the original [German text]. THE AMERICAN ORGANIST

The biographical chapters make . . . fascinating reading . . . [No chapter] is more gripping than the chapter devoted to "Haarlem and the Rest of Europe." . . . Christa Rumsey has done a sterling service for English-speaking readers by her elegant translation of an important book. ORGAN AUSTRALIA [Bruce Steele]

A remarkable book [about] one of the greats of the mid-twentieth century. Packed with facts and stories. Christa Rumsey's excellent, flowing translation [is] a pleasure to read. SYDNEY ORGAN JOURNAL

The text flows effortlessly. . . . The story is vibrant and gives extremely good insight into life between World War II and 1979 in Austria and life in Vienna in particular. Of interest to any interested in organ music and, in particular, developments in the early to mid-twentieth century. ORGAN MUSIC SOCIETY OF ADELAIDE NEWSLETTER

Peter Planyavsky's book accomplishes a difficult task: that of doing justice to the life of a monumental musician. Planyavsky, himself an organist of international prominence, avoids the pitfall of presenting Heiller as primarily an organist, instead presenting a compelling picture of Heiller as the complete musician, giving ample room to a discussion of his career as a conductor as well as to a discussion of his many compositions. The result is a comprehensive and engaging account of a person who was a dominant figure in European musical culture for several decades of the twentieth century and whose influence was felt far beyond the circle of the Viennese musical scene. --William Porter, Eastman School of Music (University of Rochester)

Anton Heiller is one of the twentieth century's most renowned and influential organists. Born in 1923, Heiller was trained in Vienna and rose to prominence quickly, giving his first solo recital at the age of twenty-two. Before concentrating on the organ exclusively, he was a successful conductor of the symphonic repertoire, and, from 1945 until his untimely death in 1979, he was professor of organ at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. His interpretations of Bach, which included registration and articulation, as well as a consideration of the theological underpinnings, would change the way Bach is played.
Anton Heiller: Organist, Composer, Conductor provides an assessment of Heiller's works and teaching, while also examining his complex personality, one torn between strong religious devotion and the world of artistry. The narrative also offers a unique view of the organ world in the decades after World War II, featuring the important organs, builders, and organists across North America and Europe.

Peter Planyavsky was Anton Heiller's successor as an organ professor in Vienna, and organist of St. Stephan's Cathedral in Vienna from 1969 through 2004. He is also a prolific composer, improviser, and conductor. Christa Rumsey, a former student of Heiller's, translated the book from the original German.