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Natural History of the Piano by Stuart Isacoff HC/DJ 2011
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Located in: Woburn, Massachusetts, United States
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eBay item number:397238335248
Item specifics
- Condition
- ISBN
- 9780307266378
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
ISBN-10
0307266370
ISBN-13
9780307266378
eBay Product ID (ePID)
102725874
Product Key Features
Book Title
Natural History of the Piano : The Instrument, the Music, the Musicians - From Mozart to Modern Jazz and Everything in Between
Number of Pages
384 Pages
Language
English
Topic
History & Criticism, Composers & Musicians, General, Musical Instruments / Piano & Keyboard, Musical Instruments / General
Publication Year
2011
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Music, Biography & Autobiography
Format
Hardcover
Dimensions
Item Height
1.3 in
Item Weight
29 Oz
Item Length
9.5 in
Item Width
7.1 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
2011-011557
TitleLeading
A
Dewey Edition
23
Reviews
"An exhaustive and entertaining cultural history of the piano . . . 'Sparkling discourse' is his aim, and he succeeds . . . An enjoyable read." -Susan E. Saltus, Newark Star-Ledger "A lively, virtually all-inclusive survey of all things pianistic . . . Isacoff's ability to convey his formidable erudition in the most engaging terms, coupled with his infectious enthusiasm for music of all kinds, make this a charming and highly readable potpourri. Informative fun for every variety of music lover." - Kirkus "Engrossing . . . Witty . . . Pianists at all levels, music history buffs, and academics will appreciate Isacoff's insights and clever way with words; this is an enjoyable and informative book." - Library Journal "An encyclopedic and argumentative overview of all things piano . . . [Isacoff's stylistic] groups-combustibles, alchemists, rhythmizers, and melodists-shape a piano gestalt through which readers will be impressed . . . by the depth and diversity of Isacoff's research and references." -Publishers Weekly "Dizzy Gillespie used to tell his musicians, whatever their instruments, to come to the piano with him as he said, 'The music is all there.' In Stuart Isacoff's A Natural History of the Piano, never before have I learned and enjoyed so much about the instrument and its most distinctive practitioners-transcending so many categories of music. Whether the subject is jazz or classical music, the writing is unfailingly engaging and revealing." -Nat Hentoff "Anybody who cares about the piano-past, present and future-will find this book irresistible reading. I always learn so much from Stuart Isacoff and have a good time in the process." -Tim Page "Stuart Isacoff's A Natural History of the Piano is a dazzling structural juxtaposition from Mozart, Liszt and Horowitz to Joplin, Tatum and Jerry Lee Lewis, written with verve and sensitivity. Piano lovers will eat it up!" -David Dubal, author of The Art of the Piano "Every page of this book is filled with the poetry of Isacoff's writing as he outlines the fascinating development of the piano and its effect on music tradition throughout the centuries. The research is of great depth: how Isacoff weaves what he has discovered into a gripping and entertaining narrative is sheer magic. Essential reading for anyone who embraces not only the piano, but music, history, and culture. Bravo, Maestro Isacoff!" -Frank Brady, author of Endgame "I loved this book. Isacoff tells the story of the piano through every conceivable device and viewpoint: profiles of the jazz and classical masters of the instrument, technical details, social history, anecdotal sidebars, interviews and unexpected digressions. And he never forgets that piano lore includes the highest of high culture as well as the pop-est of pop. It's a terrifically enjoyable read." -Sara Fishko, Producer/Host, WNYC (New York Public Radio) "Supremely informative as well as fascinating and entertaining-highly recommended." -Vladimir Ashkenazy "Stuart Isacoff's great meditation on all piano-related matters is a delight, both informative and entertaining. To borrow the author's categories, I find the writing both melodic and combustible." -Dick Hyman "Irresistible! Stuart Isacoff charts the three-century evolution of the world's most popular instrument with insight, love, and wit, garnished with the wisdom of today's foremost masters of classical and jazz." -Sedgwick Clark, editor, Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts
Dewey Decimal
786.2/09
Synopsis
A beautifully illustrated, totally engrossing celebration of the piano, and the composers and performers who have made it their own. With honed sensitivity and unquestioned expertise, Stuart Isacoff--pianist, critic, teacher, and author of Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization --unfolds the ongoing history and evolution of the piano and all its myriad wonders: how its very sound provides the basis for emotional expression and individual style, and why it has so powerfully entertained generation upon generation of listeners. He illuminates the groundbreaking music of Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Schumann, and Debussy. He analyzes the breathtaking techniques of Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Arthur Rubinstein, and Van Cliburn, and he gives musicians including Alfred Brendel, Murray Perahia, Menahem Pressler, and Vladimir Horowitz the opportunity to discuss their approaches. Isacoff delineates how classical music and jazz influenced each other as the uniquely American art form progressed from ragtime, novelty, stride, boogie, bebop, and beyond, through Scott Joplin, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Cecil Taylor, and Bill Charlap. A Natural History of the Piano distills a lifetime of research and passion into one brilliant narrative. We witness Mozart unveiling his monumental concertos in Vienna's coffeehouses, using a special piano with one keyboard for the hands and another for the feet; European virtuoso Henri Herz entertaining rowdy miners during the California gold rush; Beethoven at his piano, conjuring healing angels to console a grieving mother who had lost her child; Liszt fainting in the arms of a page turner to spark an entire hall into hysterics. Here is the instrument in all its complexity and beauty. We learn of the incredible craftsmanship of a modern Steinway, the peculiarity of specialty pianos built for the Victorian household, the continuing innovation in keyboards including electronic ones. And most of all, we hear the music of the masters, from centuries ago and in our own age, brilliantly evoked and as marvelous as its most recent performance. With this wide-ranging volume, Isacoff gives us a must-have for music lovers, pianists, and the armchair musician.
LC Classification Number
ML650.I83 2011
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- 2***0 (130)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseShipping was quick, packaging was excellent, condition was acceptable as described -- binding loose but pages intact. I did message buyer asking about mold and didn't receive a reply -- luckily, there appears to be no mold. Great value for a 100+ yr old book!Mistress of Shenstone by Florence L. Barclay HC 1910 (#335940140985)
- a***p (8)- Feedback left by buyer.Past yearVerified purchaseI received my book in absolutely pristine condition, better than described! Which is impressive because the copy is from 1930 and it looks like it has never been handled. It shipped very quickly, even faster than the estimated time given by a week. It was packaged very carefully. The book and shipping price was also very fair considering the age and condition of the book and the shipping speed. I am very pleased with this seller and will be ordering from them again in the future.All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque HC 1930 (#396258036329)
- b***w (115)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseOutstanding seller! Excellent communication. The item was exactly as described, mailed promptly, and packaged securely.Mission Impossible #4: Code Name Little Ivan by John Tiger, 1969 SC (#336040405753)