Piano Photographic History

by David Crombie

Piano traces the evolution of the instrument and its birth in the 18th century, showing all the main varieties of early piano from the prominent manufacturing houses. Additional close-up and internal photography reveals the developments in construction and 'actions', or mechanisms, of these marvelous antiquities. More specially commissioned photographs illustrate the outer beauty and inner complexity of the modern piano, with spectacular shots of current Steinway and Bosendorfer instruments, while new technology examined includes the electric piano as well as more recent developments such as the digital piano. This important new book is an essential purchase for every piano player and every musical instrument enthusiast.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History

1 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1995

Reviews

[Garret]

This is a lavishly photographed book which takes you through the history of the piano through it's illustrations. It is a well done coffee table book.

[Robin]

One book leads to another book leads to another book . . .
This one was mentioned in Carhart's "The Piano Shop on the Left Bank" which I read recently, and he was right that it is packed full of information and pictures of the history and workings of pianos, along with glossary and bios. It is the kind of book I might have left sitting in the Montessori grade school where I taught music so a child might pick it up at their leisure, look at a few pictures, and then come back to over a year, learning more and more. If they were mechanically-minded, who knows what they would build; if artistic, sketching out their own instruments; if historic, plenty of things to consider from clavichords to electronic instruments; if they were musicians, finding names they had maybe heard of.

[Nicole]

Found this in my grandmother’s collection. Only slightly dated. Beautiful illustrated history of the piano.

[Nostradamus Sumadartson]

This is a first class work of reference which treads a confident path between scholarly academia and genuine entertainment. For anyone at all interested in the evolution of the piano, from the earliest fragile forms to today's monsters of the concert hall, this book ought to be included in his or her library. Lavishly illustrated, carefully compiled and with enough technical information to clarify and explain all but the most minute of details, it takes us on an exciting journey of exploration and discovery. A real treasure to possess.