The piano is central to the music of the twentieth century. Here Burge, widely acclaimed for introducing much of this literature to the repertoire, offers a personal and inviting overview of the often challenging music written for solo piano during this century. Divided into four sections, each covering a key historical period with musical examples, this resource examines the development of different styles and compositional techniques, and integrates historical and artistic details. Burge offers cogent performance suggestions for selected works of Aaron Copland, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio, John Cage, George Crumb, and others. Following the main text is a Selected Bibliography, a Chronological List of Works and Publishers, Notes, Discography, and Index. A valuable addition to this paperback reissue is a CD of Burge's performances of several works discussed in the text. - Publisher.