A natural history of the piano : the instrument, the music, the musicians--from Mozart to modern jazz, and everything in between / Stuart Isacoff.
| Author/creator | Isacoff, Stuart |
| Format | Book |
| Publication Info | New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. |
| Description | xv, 361 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | A gathering of traditions -- The piano is born -- The first piano superstar -- Piano fever -- Performers on the road -- The four sounds -- The combustibles. The new testament ; Still setting blazes -- The alchemists. Chemistry ; Shock and awe -- The rhythmizers. The American adventure begins ; All that jazz ; Rock solid or teetering on the brink -- The melodists. Straight from the heart ; Breezy and unflappable -- The cultivated and the vernacular -- The Russians are coming -- The Germans and their close relations -- Keys to the world -- On the cutting edge -- Everything old is new again. |
| Abstract | A celebration of the piano, including tales of its masters from Mozart and Beethoven to Oscar Peterson and Jerry Lee Lewis. This history takes us back to the piano's humble genesis as a simple keyboard, and shows how everyone from Ferdinando de' Medici to Herbie Hancock affected its evolution of sound and influence in popular music. Presenting the instrument that has been at the core of musical development over the centuries in all its beauty and complexity, this explores the piano's capabilities and the range of emotional expression it conveys in different artists' hands. |
| General note | A Borzoi book. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| LCCN | 2011011557 |
| ISBN | 9780307266378 |
| ISBN | 0307266370 |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Music Stacks | ML650 .I83 2011 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |