A Natural History Of The Piano

Cover Type: Hardcover
Book Condition: As New
Jacket Condition: As New
Publisher: Souvenir Press
Publisher Place: Uk
Publisher Year: 2011
Edition: First Edition

Description: 361 pages. Book and Jacket appear to have hardly been read and are both in As new condition throughout.

Publishers Description: The definitive history and evolution of the piano, as well as an exploration of how its sound provides the basis for emotional expression and why it has entertained generations of listeners. Illuminating the music of classical composers such as Mozart, Lizst and Debussy to the innovative techniques of modern musicians from Glenn Gould to Oscar Peterson and Alfred Brendel. A Natural History of the Piano distils a lifetimes study and passion as we learn of the craftsmanship of a modern Steinway, the peculiar speciality pianos built for Victorian homes and the continuing innovation in keyboards, including electric keyboards. About the Author Stuart Isacoff is active across North America and Europe as a writer, pianist, composer and lecturer. His ongoing presence in the cultural landscape has included presentations at New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art and Lincoln Center, as well as at festivals around the world; regular contributions on music and art to The Wall Street Journal; and classes at the Purchase College Conservatory of Music (SUNY). Mr. Isacoff is the author of A Natural History of the Piano: The Instrument, the Music, the Musicians—From Mozart to Modern Jazz and Everything in Between (Knopf), and of the highly acclaimed Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization (Knopf/Vintage). He is a winner of the prestigious ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for excellence in writing about music. Stuart Isacoff has given lectures and piano performances both here and abroad, at such venues as The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Verbier Festival and Academy (Switzerland), Music@Menlo, the Portland Piano Festival, the Miami Piano Festival, the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, the September Music Festival (Torino), the Gina Bachauer Foundation, the Van Cliburn Piano Institute and others, as well as at such scientific institutions as the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Bradbury Science Museum and the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics. His compositions, arrangements, editions, and instructional texts have been published by G. Schirmer, Boosey & Hawkes (London), Carl Fischer, Music Sales Corp., Warner Bros. Music, and Ekay Music, Inc. He was the founding editor of the magazine Piano Today, a position he held for nearly three decades. Stuart Isacoffs piano recitals combine classical repertoire with jazz improvisation, demonstrating the threads that connect musical works created centuries and continents apart. Of his playing, pianist André Watts has said: "Stuart Isacoffs music-making is original and revelatory. Subtle, brilliant use of the instrument combined with a unique musical perspective, create performances of uncommon depth. Isacoff reveals his beautiful interior world with every performance."

ISBN: 9780285641129