The Piano

A History in 100 Pieces

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on Waterstones.com
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 31 Aug 2021 | Archive Date 26 Aug 2021
Yale University Press, London | Yale University Press

Talking about this book? Use #ThePiano #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

A fascinating history of the piano explored through 100 pieces chosen by one of the UK’s most renowned concert pianists
 
“Tomes . . . casts her net widely, taking in chamber music and concertos, knotty avant-garde masterworks and (most welcome) jazz.”—Richard Fairman, Financial Times, “Best Books of 2021: Classical Music”
 
“[One of] the most beautiful books I got my hands on this year. . . . About the shaping of this maddening, glorious, unconquerable instrument.”—Jenny Colgan, Spectator, “Books of the Year”
 
An astonishingly versatile instrument, the piano allows just two hands to play music of great complexity and subtlety. For more than two hundred years, it has brought solo and collaborative music into homes and concert halls and has inspired composers in every musical genre—from classical to jazz and light music.
 
Charting the development of the piano from the late eighteenth century to the present day, pianist and writer Susan Tomes takes the reader with her on a personal journey through 100 pieces including solo works, chamber music, concertos, and jazz. Her choices include composers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Gershwin, and Philip Glass. Looking at this history from a modern performer’s perspective, she acknowledges neglected women composers and players including Fanny Mendelssohn, Maria Szymanowska, Clara Schumann, and Amy Beach.
A fascinating history of the piano explored through 100 pieces chosen by one of the UK’s most renowned concert pianists
 
“Tomes . . . casts her net widely, taking in chamber music and concertos...

Advance Praise

“A superb masterpiece, packed with detail, yet eloquently presenting important moments in the history (and pre-history) of piano music and how it has inspired us all - composers, musicians, and listeners - for more than 200 years.”—John Gilhooly, Director of Wigmore Hall

“Susan Tomes writes as elegantly and lucidly as she plays the piano. Here she offers the perfect guide to the world of musical riches that the instrument at its best can be. This is a treasurable book for committed pianophiles and newcomers alike.“—Jessica Duchen, novelist and music writer

“This is a delightful and valuable book. Susan Tomes presents a generous history of piano literature with wonderful lucidity, understanding and conviction. Love of the piano and its music shines through every page - professional musicians and music-loving enthusiasts alike will be captivated.”—Steven Isserlis, cellist

“Susan Tomes explains why this beloved instrument has been at the heart of our musical lives, on stage and at home, from its invention up to the present day. Her love for the instrument, and the music which its composer-lovers have written for it over centuries, is infectious and instructive. A book to keep near your piano.”—Stephen Hough, pianist


“A superb masterpiece, packed with detail, yet eloquently presenting important moments in the history (and pre-history) of piano music and how it has inspired us all - composers, musicians, and...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780300253924
PRICE US$25.00 (USD)
PAGES 400

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)

Average rating from 3 members


Readers who liked this book also liked: