Piano Roles: A New History of the Piano

by James Parakilas

The piano puts whole worlds of musical sound at the fingertips of one player, evoking the singing of a solo voice, the textural richness of an orchestra, and the rhythmic impetus of a dance band. It has been background or center stage in concertgoing, parlor singing, choir rehearsals, theatrical tryouts, and many other activities, forging a common bond among people of very different social spheres. This delightfully written and copiously illustrated book examines the place of the piano in classical and popular musical cultures and the piano’s changing cultural roles over the past three centuries.

Eminent authorities discuss the impetus for the invention of the piano; the innovations in its design, manufacturing, and marketing that promoted its growing significance in concert life and domestic life; and the importance of the piano lesson in the upbringing of the young―especially of girls. They explore the relationship between the piano on the public stage and the piano in the parlor; the spread of the piano to all parts of the world; and the images formed around the piano in literature, art, and movies. And they eloquently describe what the piano has meant to different eras, as it evolved from the plaything of European aristocrats to companion of people of all classes and cultures.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History

391 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2000

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a big book on the coffee table: rich w/illustrative art and samples of period pieces. Composed of small essay-articles on a myriad of topics: manufacturers, consumers, teachers, the new & the old ways, the prevalence of women, the incline & decline of the role of the piano, it's place for singers, orchestra rehearsals, celebrations, gatherings, therapy, or households. All insightful perspectives. London & Vienna receive much attention, as do virtuosos like Liszt, or prime movers like Clementi or Christofori "the piano inventor". Not much on Russian or Latin America but the book does well to speak of the piano within the context of the time & the place. Really liked all the art and the variety of voices. A well-rounded compendium for piano enthusiasts.

[Hema · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book if you love the piano and want to know more of how it evolved to current day use.

It has a few historical holes, for good reason. It is hard to cover the whole history of keyboards.

I would have liked to know about the evolution of the old instrument, the harmonium and it's relationship to the piano keyboard. In Eastern music, the harmonium can play songs that the piano cannot play.

A good read. I am glad they included the relationship between Bach and the harpsichord for lovers of early Western music.

[Carole Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cultural history of the piano, the role it has played in our culture over the past three years.

[Vihan Aw · Rating 5 out of 5]

On my endless travels from the quaint corners of my seat on the public bus to the hallowed halls of learning in Clinton Community College, never have I been more enthralled in learning about Franz Liszt's capability to cause orgasms with his music.

But surely I jest. From the humble beginnings of the piano to the pedagogy of the masters, I felt like I had taken an entire semester's worth of history in Western Civilization regarding my fetish, the piano.

But surely I jest.

[Tami · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I owned this mammoth resource and had time to peruse it here and there, I might have found it more interesting. It was just way to much information to digest in a short amount of time. I ended up flipping the pages & looking at the pictures! :o