CDNow Home Page Turning Notes Into Music Turning Notes Into Music , by Hans Lampl. Reviewed by Guy Urban in College Music Symposium , Volume 37. For most studio music teachers, the teaching of interpretation is central, yet curiously difficult to pin down. On the teacher's part, there is often a skepticism toward any systematization of interpretation, perhaps as a defense against philistinism and mechanical effect.
Some books attempt to address head-on the principles of interpretation.
I suspect that books like these, although known and loved by many musicians and teachers, are not widely read by students concentrating in performance. Until now, I have not seen a book geared to students that systematically addresses the basic rhetoric of interpretation in a practical manner. Hans Lampl has written such a book, Turning Notes into Music , and its many strengths make it worthy of investigation by all teachers of performance. Dr. Lampl's first big challenge is where to begin. Dr. Lampl is not afraid to examine and enunciate the most basic assumptions.