Piano Roles: Three Hundred Years of Life with the Piano

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 [publisher Description] 1700 To 1770s : The Need For The Piano / James Parakilas -- Designing, Making, And Selling Pianos / Edwin M. Good, Cynthia Adams Hoover -- The Player Piano / Michael Chanan -- 1770s To 1820s : The Piano Revolution In The Age Of Revolutions / James Parakilas, Gretchen A. Wheelock -- The Piano Lesson / E. Douglas Bomberger ... [et Al.] -- The Metronome / Marina Tsvetaeva -- Le Tabouret (the Piano Stool) / Marina Tsvetaeva -- 1820s To 1870s : The Piano Calls The Tune / Charlotte N. Eyerman, James Parakilas -- The Piano Tuner / James Parakilas -- The Image Of The Composer At The Piano / James Parakilas -- The Concert And The Virtuoso / Richard Leppert, Stephen Zank -- 1870s To 1920s : The World's The Limit / Atsuko Hirai, James Parakilas -- Preview : Silent Movies With Piano / Michael Chanan -- Hollywood's Embattled Icon / Ivan Raykoff -- 1920s To 2000 : New Voices From The Old Impersonator / Michael Chanan, James Parakilas, Mark Tucker -- Afterword : Making The Piano Historical / James Parakilas. James Parakilas ; With E. Douglas Bomberger ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.