Piano: A Photographic History of the World's Most Celebrated Instrument

A beautifully illustrated documentation of the piano's 300-year evolution, presenting 200 photos of more than 150 instruments, each of which is thoroughly identified and described. Even a non-musical reader can't help but be entranced by the elaborate workmanship and variety of design exhibited in the photos. The text is thorough, and is enhanced with highlighted features on key historical dates, technical innovations, influential composers and pianists, and outstanding oddities (such as the portable sewing box piano, the table-top pyramid piano, and the Viennese giraffe piano). Special sections on how a piano works and on piano houses, along with a discography, complete this delightful reference. 10x13" Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.