Giraffes, Black Dragons, and Other Pianos: A Technological History from Cristofori to the Modern Concert Grand, Second Edition : Book

This Paperback Book item from Stanford University Press was reviewed on 3-Nov-2008.

1) Paperback Book Giraffes, Black Dragons, and Other Pianos: A Technological History from Cristofori to the Modern Concert Grand, Second Edition by Stanford University Press. The author is erudite, reflecting his long career as an academic, the writing lively, but this history of the piano has so much detail--references, footnotes abound--that it is exhausting to read. It´s a decidedly layman´s "technological history", (engineers will not be satisfied) and only a few B/W pictures appear, but the indefatigable author, himself a pianist, has an undeniable enthusiasm for his subject.¤

2) Paperback Book Giraffes, Black Dragons, and Other Pianos: A Technological History from Cristofori to the Modern Concert Grand, Second Edition by Stanford University Press. I ended up using this book for a research paper and in doing so I found that this book is the most detailed and comprehensive of any book written about the piano´s history and development that I´ve seen. This book resolves many conflicts other sources seem to have with each other with a full explanation of the issue at hand. This book is truly well-written, following logical transitions from topic to topic, and well-reasoned arguments based on the available evidence. Rich in detail, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn about the truly remarkable transition from a primitive, 4-octave, wooden-framed harpsichord substitute to a refined, 7 and a third octave, iron-framed marvel that exceeds all other instruments in complexity and both dynamic and pitch range.¤

3) Paperback Book Giraffes, Black Dragons, and Other Pianos: A Technological History from Cristofori to the Modern Concert Grand, Second Edition by Stanford University Press.

This lavishly illustrated book treats the history of the piano from its invention in 1700 to the present in terms of its technology. Looking at the technologies of design, materials, and manufacture, and focusing its description on specific existing pianos, it describes the changes in pianos from the earliest days to contemporary instruments.

This revised edition incorporates the results of recent research that increases knowledge of the work of Bartolomeo Cristofori, the inventor of the piano; changes perceptions of how eighteenth-century pianos were made and used; adds to the available information about the important contributions of the Steinway Company; and describes the most recent changes to the piano.

The first edition of this book received the Otto Kinkeldey Award of the American Musicological Society as the best musicological book in English published in 1982-83.

Reviews of the First Edition

“If you have ever looked under the lid of a piano and wondered about the technical how and why of it all, this is the book to sate your curiosity. . . . Good’s vigorous prose breathes life into the technology . . . and brings forward the people involved, with humor and sensitivity.”

—Los Angeles Times

“This is a fine book. Accurate technical description, an abundance of photographs and drawings, and a very readable text complement a provocative thesis.”

—Technology and Culture

“Intriguing reading. It turns out that the story of the piano and its evolution . . . is rife with human interest, at least when Good relates the details.”

—Keyboard

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 1-Dec-2008, 08047454989780804745499, 630-390-880-980-490-160-371-D4B-8

Giraffes, Black Dragons, and Other Pianos: A Technological History from Cristofori to the Modern Concert Grand, Second Edition, Book, Image © Stanford University Press

Giraffes, Black Dragons, and Other Pianos: A Technological History from Cristofori to the Modern Concert Grand, Second Edition

Author - Edwin Good ... [Goo?] [Posters]

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