The Secret Life of Musical Notation Defying Interpretive Traditions

The original discoveries presented in The Secret Life of Musical Notation: Defying Interpretive Traditions have generated one fundamental conclusion: the long-standing interpretation of several of the markings commonly encountered in music as early as the 1770s may fail to reveal their original intentions, being the result of misconstrued readings. These misinterpretations are due precisely to traditions themselves, which are liable for reifying hearsay as accepted knowledge. Restoring the original meaning of signs and symbols in the scores can bring us closer to practices that have not gained access to musicians' vocabulary because of decades of misinformed playing and fallacious scholarship, giving us greater interpretive insight. Many contemporary musicians who have read the book believe the concepts expressed in it will have a strong impact on the way we read music. They claim that applying these concepts has made them think more thoroughly about the role of musical notation and the way they approach the printed page.

Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Pianist Roberto Poli has established himself on - and offstage as a powerful and eloquent communicator. The life and art of Frdric Chopin are at the core of his studies, from the organization of a yearly symposium devoted to the composer to the recording of Chopin's complete works for the European label Onclassical. Poli balances his life between performing around the world, teaching a select number of gifted students, lecturing, writing, and restoring his 1850s Victorian home overlooking Boston's historic Chester Square.