Guides: Keyboard: Piano

Piano resources

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History of the Piano

The Cambridge Companion to the Piano by David Rowland (editor); contributions by: Jonathan Cross, Kenneth Hamilton, Rovert Philip, Bernard Richardson, Dorothy De Val, Cyril Ehrlich, J. Barrie Jones, Mervyn Cooke and Brian Priestley
Call Number: ML650 .C36 1998
ISBN: 052147986X
Publication Date: 1998-11-19
An informative and practical guide to the piano, the writers introduce readers to the history of the piano, performance styles, and repertoire through a compilation of essays.
Men, Women and Pianos: A Social History by Arthur Loesser
Call Number: ML650 .L64 1990
ISBN: 0486265439
Publication Date: 2011-03-17
As the "social anchor," Loesser discusses the history of the piano by country through evidence of sources as well as describing the instrument's characteristics and roles.
The Piano by John-Paul Williams
Call Number: ML652 .W55 2002
ISBN: 0823081516
Publication Date: 2002-09-01
Filled with lavish illustrations, John-Paul Williams provides a history of the piano and its development, a directory of piano makers, and a guide to purchasing a piano and maintenance.
Music for Piano: A Short History by F. E. Kirby; Maurice Hinson (Foreword by)
Call Number: ML700 .K57 1995
ISBN: 0931340861
Publication Date: 2003-03-01
Kirby provides the first detailed but short historical interpretation of music for organ, harpsichord, clavichord, and piano.

Composers, Style, and Repertoire

Beethoven on Beethoven: Playing His Piano Music His Way by William S. Newman
Call Number: ML410.B4 N49 1988
ISBN: 0393025381
Publication Date: 1988-11-01
A study on interpreting Beethoven's piano works as the composer intended. Newmans provides insight through reasoning and analysis of the scores.
Images: The Piano Music of Claude Debussy by Paul Roberts
Call Number: ML410.D43 R63 1996
ISBN: 0931340977
Publication Date: 1996-04-01
In this study of Debussy's piano music, English pianist Paul Roberts probes the sources of Debussy's artistic inspiration, relating the 'impressionist' titles to the artistic ferment in France at the turn of the century.
Eighteenth-Century Keyboard Music by Robert Marshall (Editor)
Call Number: ML 705 .E34 2003
ISBN: 0415966426
Publication Date: 2003-10-10
Eighteenth-Century Keyboard Music covers major composers such as J.S. Bach, Scarlatti, C.P.E. Bach, J.C. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and many more.
Masters of the Keyboard: Individual Style Elements in the piano music of Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, and Brahms by Konrad Wolff
Call Number: ML705 .W65 1990
ISBN: 0253364582
Publication Date: 1990-07-01
The Eighteenth Century Konrad Wolff characterizes in detail the personal musical language of several great masters of the piano, pursuing different lines of investigation to discover each composer's essential traits.
Nineteenth-Century Piano Music by R. Larry Todd
Call Number: ML706 .N56 2004
ISBN: 0415968909
Publication Date: 2004-01-12
This book covers the writing styles of major composers including Beethoven, Schubert, Weber, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, and Liszt, as well as women composers such as Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel.
French Piano Music : A Survey with Notes on its Performance by Norman Demuth
Call Number: ML724 .D46 1959
Publication Date: 1959
This book focuses on French piano music as well as the composers spanning from early Baroque to the 20th Century.
Beethoven's Piano Sonatas by Charles Rosen
Call Number: MT145.B42 R67 2002
ISBN: 0300090706
Publication Date: 2002-02-08
A guide for both listeners and performers of Beethoven's piano sonatas. Rosen provides the context and the aspects of the sonata such as the form, phrasing, tempo, pedals, and trills. Also, each sonata is listed in the second half of the book.
Mozart and the Pianist: A Guide for Performers and Teachers to Mozart's Major Works for Solo Piano by Michael Davidson
Call Number: MT145.M79 D38 2001
ISBN: 1871082765
Publication Date: 2001-07-01
Davidson offers a practical guide for both performers and teachers of Mozart's major piano compositions. The coverage of each work includes the background, formal analysis, aspects and problems, and practical advice.
Schumann Piano Music by Joan Chissell
Call Number: MT145.S382 C45 1972
ISBN: 0295952520
Publication Date: 1972-10-01
A helpful guide to Schumann's piano works, Chissell gives a historical background for each composition. Well-known pieces such as Kinderscenen, Carnaval, Fantasiestücke, op.12, and Album für die Jugend are listed.

Piano Resources on Technique

Piano Notes: The World of the Pianist by Charles Rosen
Call Number: ML700 .R67 2002
ISBN: 0743243129
Publication Date: 2004-02-03
From a concert pianist's perspective, Rosen talks about the performing experience and the relationship between the performer and the music itself.
The Pianist's Problems by William Newman
Call Number: MT 220 .N49 1986
ISBN: 0306802694
Publication Date: 1986-03-22
A useful resource for pianists needing an efficient practice and musicianship, Newman covers technique, practice methods, performance, and nine steps to learning a new piece.
Playing the Piano with Confidence by Gerald D'Abreu
Call Number: MT 220 .D33 1965
Publication Date: 1965
Another useful resource with methods for building confidence on performance, the author breaks down with approach to study, technique, touch, expression, interpretation, memory, learning a new work, and performance.
The Art of Pedaling by Heinrich Gebhard; introduction by Leonard Bernstein
Call Number: MT227 .G43 1963
ISBN: 0486488276
Publication Date: 1963
A very helpful manual for utilizing the piano pedals, Gebhard offers a variety of pedaling techniques for each style of piece from different periods.

Biographies of Famous Pianists

At the Piano by Caroline Benser
Call Number: ML397 .B46 2012
ISBN: 0810881721
Publication Date: 2011-10-24
Caroline Benser interviews eight 21st century pianists, including Leif Ove Andsnes and Yuja Wang. Interviewees discuss their unique musical background, interpretation of classic works, performing new works by living composers, and the challenges and successes of music performers.
Fannie Bloomfield-Zeisler: The Life and Times of a Piano Virtuoso by Beth Abelson Macleod
Call Number: ML397 .M33 2015
ISBN: 9780252039348
Publication Date: 2015-06-09
Beth Abelson Macleod reintroduces Fannie Bloomfield-Zeiler, another prominent piano virtuoso between the late 19th century and the 20th century.
Horowitz by Harold C. Schonberg
Call Number: ML 417 .H67 S36 1992
ISBN: 0671725688
Publication Date: 1992-11-01
A detailed biography of one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, Schonberg narrates Horowitz's life on the successes and struggles of a virtuoso, both on-stage and off-stage, as well as his return to Russia after a 61-year absence.
Journey of a Thousand Miles by Lang Lang; David Ritz
Call Number: ML 417 .L36 A3 2008
ISBN: 9780385524568
Publication Date: 2008-07-15
An autobiography of the sensational Chinese musical prodigy, Lang Lang accounts his early life, family struggles during the Cultural Revolution, and success as a pianist.
Moscow Nights: The Van Cliburn Story by Nigel Cliff
Call Number: ML417.C55 C55 2016
ISBN: 9780062333162
Publication Date: 2016-09-20
This biography by Nigel Cliff focuses on Van Cliburn's participation in the International Tchaikovsky Competition and the winning response from both American and Soviet audience during the Cold War.

Piano Inspires (ejournal)
Provides informative, interesting, and inspiring ideas on all aspects of piano teaching, learning, and performing.
Early Keyboard Journal (ejournal)
Devoted solely to the music, performance practices, and organology of keyboard instruments to about 1850.
Keyboard Companion (ejournal)
Publishes articles on early-level piano study and issues that affect piano teachers and students.

Berlin Philharmoniker Digital Concert Hall This link opens in a new window
Attend live-stream concerts of the Berlin Philharmoniker orchestra. Digital Concert Hall contains hundreds of concert recordings, documentaries, and exclusive interviews with conductors and soloists.**LIMIT 2 concurrent users at a time.
Naxos Music Library This link opens in a new window
Enjoy streaming access to the world´s largest online classical music library featuring standard and rare repertoire. **LIMIT 10 concurrent users at one time.
nkoda This link opens in a new window
The nkoda library has the full scores, complete sets of parts, and educational materials (e.g. methods) for more than 100,000 titles, licensed from more than 130 music publishers. You will need to authenticate your account through this link, and then you can access the library via the nkoda apps which are available on Apple, Android, and Windows devices.
IMSLP This link opens in a new window
Explore a growing collection of free public domain scores. The International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) contains over 100,000 works and offers forums for the exchange of musical ideas.
Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window
Access multiple music reference resources in one location. With Grove Music Online as its cornerstone, Oxford Music Online also contains The Oxford Companion to Music (revised 2011), which offers more than 8,000 articles on composers, performers, conductors, instruments and notation, forms and genres, and individual works; and The Oxford Dictionary of Music, 2nd edition (revised 2006).

PianoNet
Comprehensive guide to everything about pianos – their history, their manufacture, noted artists, important publications, and more.
Piano World
Information about pianos, pianists, piano music, digital pianos, professionals in the piano business (tuners, dealers, teachers, manufacturers, etc.), and more. Home of the Piano Forums.

Keyboard: Piano

Piano resources

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