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The Lives of the Piano : A Consideration, a Celebration, a History, and a Genealogy of Pianos and Their Friends
A consideration, a celebration , a history and a genealogy of pianos and their friends
- GenresMusic
214 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1981
About the author
James R. Gaines
21 books19 followersJames R. Gaines is an American journalist, author, and international publishing consultant who is best known as a magazine editor. He was the chief editor of Time, Life, and People magazines between 1987 and 1996 and subsequently the corporate editor of Time Inc.
Gaines is a graduate of the McBurney School in New York City and the University of Michigan. His career in magazine journalism started at the Saturday Review, followed by Newsweek and People, where he was named managing editor in 1987. He was both managing editor and publisher of Life, the first time that one person held both the chief editorial and publishing jobs at a Time-Life magazine. His reinvention of Life as a weekly news magazine for the first Persian Gulf War won widespread acclaim and led to his appointment to the editorship of Time, making him the first person ever to run three Time-Life magazines. All three won important journalistic awards during his tenure and undertook important extensions: a television show and books program at People, network specials and custom publishing at Life, and at Time a classroom edition called Time for Kids and Time Online. In his first assignment as a publishing consultant, he founded a brand extension in the men’s luxury category for American Express Publishing titled Travel & Leisure/Golf. Based in Paris, he has since advised publishers in Europe and the Middle East as well as the United States. He has four children, three of which reside with him in Paris.
Gaines is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Historical Association, the Society of Eighteenth Century Historians, the Overseas Press Club, and the International Federation of the Periodical Press.
Gaines is a graduate of the McBurney School in New York City and the University of Michigan. His career in magazine journalism started at the Saturday Review, followed by Newsweek and People, where he was named managing editor in 1987. He was both managing editor and publisher of Life, the first time that one person held both the chief editorial and publishing jobs at a Time-Life magazine. His reinvention of Life as a weekly news magazine for the first Persian Gulf War won widespread acclaim and led to his appointment to the editorship of Time, making him the first person ever to run three Time-Life magazines. All three won important journalistic awards during his tenure and undertook important extensions: a television show and books program at People, network specials and custom publishing at Life, and at Time a classroom edition called Time for Kids and Time Online. In his first assignment as a publishing consultant, he founded a brand extension in the men’s luxury category for American Express Publishing titled Travel & Leisure/Golf. Based in Paris, he has since advised publishers in Europe and the Middle East as well as the United States. He has four children, three of which reside with him in Paris.
Gaines is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Historical Association, the Society of Eighteenth Century Historians, the Overseas Press Club, and the International Federation of the Periodical Press.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 20, 2015
This book is a collection of 8 essays copiously illustrated with B&W pictures and reproductions.
Several of the essays included some concerns:
- Piano is no longer considered “an indispensable piece of furniture in the homes of the genteel” (Page 16)
- The repertoire that audiences expect and enjoy hasn’t changed in decades.
- The pressure on child prodigies (some of whom wrote for this book)
- Artistic expression versus public approval
“Some pianos are born chamber music instruments. They are pretty, but they never have a big enough sound for a concert hall. Other pianos have a huge voice, which many artists cannot control.” (Franz Mohr, page 103) I found the statement “… which many artists cannot control” quite interesting. Mohr has also stated (it may have been in a different book) that he can tell early on whether a piano is capable of developing that huge voice.
Chapter 3 goes into the making of a Bosendorfer and describes some differences between it and a Steinway.
As I practiced Hanon exercise #17, I thought of the gadget on page 29 which claimed ti "strengthen hands which in fact could cripple them."
It didn't take too long to read it, and it was well worth reading.
Several of the essays included some concerns:
- Piano is no longer considered “an indispensable piece of furniture in the homes of the genteel” (Page 16)
- The repertoire that audiences expect and enjoy hasn’t changed in decades.
- The pressure on child prodigies (some of whom wrote for this book)
- Artistic expression versus public approval
“Some pianos are born chamber music instruments. They are pretty, but they never have a big enough sound for a concert hall. Other pianos have a huge voice, which many artists cannot control.” (Franz Mohr, page 103) I found the statement “… which many artists cannot control” quite interesting. Mohr has also stated (it may have been in a different book) that he can tell early on whether a piano is capable of developing that huge voice.
Chapter 3 goes into the making of a Bosendorfer and describes some differences between it and a Steinway.
As I practiced Hanon exercise #17, I thought of the gadget on page 29 which claimed ti "strengthen hands which in fact could cripple them."
It didn't take too long to read it, and it was well worth reading.
September 12, 2014
Diana, my piano instructor, lent this to me for summer reading. It is a creatively written book that has lots of interesting facts, traditions and background information on this fascinating instrument. I wish I could learn scales as easily as I went through this book!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews