Piano : Evolution, Design and Performance

by david-crombie

This is the most spectacular and informative book ever assembled on the history of the piano. Features a collection of 200 stunning photos of more than 150 pianos ranging from the instrumentÕs earliest roots to todayÕs magnificent upright and grand pianos. Includes specifications for each instrument shown, information on the mechanics of pianos, manufacturer profiles, and more. Hardcover.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music

112 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1995

Reviews

[Garret · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Nostradamus Sumadartson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.