Cambridge Companion to the Piano

by David Rowland

The Cambridge Companion to the Piano is an informative and practical guide to one of the world's most popular instruments. This collection of specially commissioned essays offers an accessible introduction to the history of the piano, performance styles, and its vast repertoire. Part 1 reviews the evolution of the piano, from its earliest forms up to the most recent developments. Part 2 explores the varied repertory, up to contemporary music, with a final chapter on jazz, blues and ragtime. The Companion also contains a glossary of important terms and will be a valuable source for the piano performer, student and enthusiast.

Genres: Music

260 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, like all the Cambridge companions, consists of a series of essays written by musicologists (primarily British ones). It is a very solid volume, covering the history of the piano, its acoustical properties, piano repertoire, and performance styles. I especially liked the discussions of performance style and repertoire, as those chapters brought together a lot of new and old information in a coherent and engaging form. The chapters on piano history were good, too, but did not include anything that I didn't already know. The only disappointment was the chapter on popular music and jazz. The author only gave a cursory view of the piano's role in popular music, and completely missed the subtleties and complexities of race in American popular music.