King of Instruments: Piano

Author: (American) Xipman Wang Yipu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-11-01
Features: This book will take you on a delightful musical journey. Accompanying you throughout is a musical "star" — the piano. Since its inception in Italy in 1709, the modern piano has been a companion to humanity for nearly 300 years. Over the centuries, it has been continuously transformed. Thus, the piano presented to us today sometimes lies flat, sometimes stands upright; sometimes it is square, and other times it becomes wing-shaped. It has even been combined with writing desks, beds, and even sewing machines. After over 100 years of "torturing," it finally took its basic form. It is a star that never fades. Whether it's the luxurious and solemn Baroque style, the grand and adventurous Classicalism; whether it's the bold and individualistic Romantic sound, or the traditional-rejecting, light-and-color-seeking Impressionist trend, the piano is fully capable. It has sparked commercial competition and duels between musical masters; in the second half of the 19th century, it even had the whole world obsessed with it. It has also given rise to a generation of legendary masters but has also led people astray (the automatic piano is a prime example). It is the cradle of new musical forms, a tool for entertaining the masses, and the "weapon" with which the "piano killer" Liszt "murdered" audiences. All musicians pay homage to it, and a music history without the piano is unimaginable. It is no longer just the name of an instrument but a force, a force that inspires the imagination and indelible passion of different eras of humanity. The charm of the piano has far surpassed its meaning as an instrument itself. It was once the plaything of emperors and nobles, only to end up in second-rate taverns as a piece of furniture for anyone to play. It is the sacred object of musical expression for composers, as well as a symbol of the middle class's identity. It was the money printer of the industrial age and the vanguard of every new cultural movement. Without the piano, would there be chamber music? And without it, would there be the masterpieces of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Brahms, among others? Without the piano, how would modern music have been created? How would pop songs have become popular? For 300 years, it has been a "star" that never fades. While shaping itself, it has also accomplished humanity. Without a doubt, the birth of the piano is a significant milestone in the history of human musical development.