Piano

by David Crombie

Book Overview

A beautifully illustrated documentation of the piano's 300-year evolution, presenting 200 photos of more than 150 instruments, each of which is thoroughly identified and described. Even a non-musical... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0760720266
• ISBN13: 9780760720264
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble Books
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 2.16 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Piano

Excellent book for piano lovers. The seller is also very good. It arrived in time for Christmas, which wasn't expected.

Some assembly required

The book is nice visually, as a gallery of handcrafted wooden marvels, many hundreds of years old, and has a wealth of interesting facts and photos, but, because it is so fragmented, is not a history that can be easily read straight through. For a briefer history, but with descriptions and samples of modern makers, and with maintenance and buying advice, get The Piano by Jean-Paul Williams. Just as nice visually.

Should have ten stars!

If your musical bookshelf has room for only one book about pianos, then it MUST be this one. It is truly gorgeous to look at, lavishly and lusciously illustrated with color photos on every page. Once you get past its pretty face, however, you'll be pleased by the technical content as well. Presented in easy-to-understand fashion and accompanied by 200+ color photos of some 150 keyboard instruments, or paintings that feature keyboards or some other facet of music appreciation, here is the history of these marvelous instruments from the late 1600s right up to the very latest electronic machines, all in one, wonderful-to-look-at volume. There are four double, double-page fold-outs (four-page centerfolds, if you will, but minus staples) with full-color photos of the best examples of the craftsmanship being explained in easy-to-understand language. The last one is my particular favorite, unveiling modern--even futuristic--examples of art as partner with design and function. On the regular pages, there are diagrams demonstrating the various keyboard instruments and the sometimes subtle differences between them. There is a chronology of piano manufacturers or 'houses' plus an alphabetical description or short history of them; a discography of recordings made on 'notable' (author's term, not mine) pianos and a glossary of terminology used in the book as well as the instruments, plus an index. Truly, everything you always wanted to know about these marvelous instruments--with the bonus of those wonderful, scrumptious photographs. It's as much an ART book, as it is a MUSIC book, or even a HISTORY book. It's on my shelf, and it should be on yours. I wish I could give it ten stars! At the very least.

A wonderful resource for the piano fan!

David Crombie has compiled the definitive collection of facts and photos detailing the evolution of the world's most popular musical instrument, The Piano. Glorious color photographs, detailed construction techniques, why some designs survived while others did not, interesting insights into many of the builders and player/composers for which this most intricate of musical instruments were built, fill the pages of a book that should be in the library of any and all that love music in any form. Crombie has presented the development and evolution of the piano in an easy to read and hard to put down reference book.