Piano Roles: Three Hundred Years of Life with the Piano

The piano turns 300 this year. To celebrate, Parakilas (music, Bates Coll.; Ballads Without Words: Chopin and the Tradition of the Instrumental Ballade) has assembled a group of distinguished contributors and fashioned a lavishly illustrated social history of the piano directed at informed lay readers. Interweaving a chronological treatment of the piano's development with thematic essays, including how the piano is depicted in art, its manufacture and marketing, the role of the piano in motion pictures, the piano lesson, and its history in Japan, the authors share their warm regard and enthusiasm for this instrument central to so many facets of music-making. Exploring the piano's well-traveled avenues and little-known byways, this thoroughly entertaining and insightful book complements earlier titles like The Lives of the Piano (ed. by James R. Gaines; 1981. o.p.), Dieter Hildebrandt's Pianoforte: A Social History of the Piano (LJ 6/1/88), and David Crombie's Piano (LJ 1/96). Highly recommended as an exceptional value for all music collections. -Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Praise for the earlier edition: "In turns highly entertaining and very educational, full of extraordinary facts. An admirable addition to the literature on this subject."—André Previn "Reach[es] out to general readers as well as musical insiders. . . . [A] fascinating cultural history."— Anthony Tommasini, New York Times "A book that will tell you everything you want to know about the piano, except maybe how to play it. . . . [The book] is replete with artworks, photos, history, anecdotes, and reminiscences." —Herbert Kupferberg, Houston Chronicle "A wonderful mosaic of the history of the piano and the diverse parts it has played in its three hundred years of life."—Henry Sheen, New Statesman