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The Piano: A History in 100 Pieces

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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. Read more


Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press (August 31, 2021)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0300253923


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 24


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.75 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #114,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #41 in Music Appreciation (Books) #176 in Music History & Criticism (Books) #179 in Classical Music (Books)


#41 in Music Appreciation (Books):


#176 in Music History & Criticism (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Excellent journey through the piano literature.
This book contains short essays on 100 piano pieces, arranged in chronological order. These compositions represent a kind of "greatest hits" of the history of the instrument. The selections are excellent, and tilt about 70-30 in favor pre-1900s music. I could quibble a bit – if I were writing the book, I would have increased the space given to jazz and blues – but this comes down to a matter of taste. All major composers who worked before the mid-1900s are represented, and the selection of more contemporary works seems well thought out. (I might have included Lowell Liebermann's Gargoyles, or William Bolcom's Graceful Ghost Rag, since these appear a ton in modern recitals. But again, it's not my book.) Reading other reviews, I saw a negative one that begins "It looks as if the author has culled info from Wikipedia..." and goes on to say, essentially, that the descriptions of the works are superficial. It is true that there is no in-depth music theory-type analysis; you can fully enjoy this book without being able to read sheet music. But I have read a lot about the piano and its literature (including many Wikipedia articles!) and I still found interesting and original insights in the essays. Also, if you can play the piano yourself but don't know the "staple" literature well, I think you will find the book particularly valuable. All the pieces are too hard for beginners, and most are too hard for intermediate players (and many are hard even for professionals...). But if you like how they sound, all the composers wrote easier things in the same style, so it's a good way to begin your search for interesting music to play. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022 by Patrick
    • A disappointing book!
It looks as if the author has culled info from Wikipedia, without bothering so much to write an in-depth analysis of the piano pieces discussed by her. Maybe she was in a hurry to complete a perfunctory book in the times of Corona. This book could have been excellent, had the author really tried to give fewer examples and more explanations and background of each piece. Do not waste you time and money on it. There are much better books about the piano and its repertoire. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2021 by Paul Gelman

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