From beloved indie musician Andrew McMahon comes a searingly honest and beautifully written memoir about the challenges and triumphs of his life and career, as seen through the lens of his personal connection to three pianos. Andrew McMahon grew up in sunny Southern California as a child prodigy, learning to play piano and write songs at a very early age, stunning schoolmates and teachers alike with his gift for performing and his unique ability to emotionally connect with audiences. McMahon would go on to become the lead singer and songwriter for Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin, and to release his debut solo album, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, in 2014. But behind this seemingly optimistic and quintessentially American story of big dreams come true lies a backdrop of overwhelming challenges that McMahon has faced—from a childhood defined by his father's struggle with addiction to his very public battle with leukemia in 2005 at the age of twenty-three, as chronicled in the intensely personal documentary Dear Jack. Overcoming those odds, McMahon has found solace and hope in the things that matter most, including family, the healing power of music and the one instrument he's always turned to: his piano. Three Pianos takes readers on a beautifully rendered and bitter-sweet American journey, one filled with inspiration, heartbreak, and an unwavering commitment to shedding our past in order to create a better future.

This book reveals the passion and expertise of those engaged in the construction of a unique and precious object destined for the world of art. Music critic Sandro Cappelletto tells the tale of a company that has been producing grand and concert pianos since 1981, when it was founded by Paolo Fazioli. Fazioli is therefore celebrating its fortieth anniversary in 2021. Passion for music and scientific skill, great craftsmanship, continuous technological research, and careful selection of materials are the necessary requirements for producing a Fazioli piano. The history of the company has been characterized by a crescendo of successes, from the first international exhibitions to acquisition by major global retailers, from sales at the world’s most prestigious theaters to close collaborations with famous artists who have exclusively requested Fazioli pianos for their concerts. The great pianists Angela Hewitt and Maurizio Baglini offer their precious perspectives in this book through conversations with Sandro Cappelletto.

A renowned concert pianist traces the instrument's design, manufacture, and music in a delightful "piano's eye-view" of the social history of Western Europe and the United States from the 16th to the 20th centuries.

During the late eighteenth century, a musical–cultural phenomenon swept the globe. The English square piano—invented in the early 1760s by an entrepreneurial German guitar maker in London—not only became an indispensable part of social life, but also inspired the creation of an expressive and scintillating repertoire. Square pianos reinforced music as life’s counterpoint, and were played by royalty, by musicians of the highest calibre and by aspiring amateurs alike. On Sunday, 13 May 1787, a square piano departed from Portsmouth on board the Sirius, the flagship of the First Fleet, bound for Botany Bay. Who made the First Fleet piano, and when was it made? Who owned it? Who played it, and who listened? What music did the instrument sound out, and within what contexts was its voice heard? What became of the First Fleet piano after its arrival on antipodean soil, and who played a part in the instrument’s subsequent history? Two extant instruments contend for the title ‘First Fleet piano’; which of these made the epic journey to Botany Bay in 1787–88? The First Fleet Piano: A Musician’s View answers these questions, and provides tantalising glimpses of social and cultural life both in Georgian England and in the early colony at Sydney Cove. The First Fleet piano is placed within the musical and social contexts for which it was created, and narratives of the individuals whose lives have been touched by the instrument are woven together into an account of the First Fleet piano’s conjunction with the forces of history. View ‘The First Fleet Piano: Volume Two Appendices’. Note: Volume 1 and 2 are sold as a set ($180 for both) and cannot be purchased separately.

For over forty years, Arthur A. Reblitz’s Piano Servicing, Tuning, and Rebuilding has been the gold-standard manual for piano technicians and hands-on hobbyists who want to rebuild or maintain pianos. Reblitz demystifies the daunting prospect of working on a piano as he guides readers through every detail of upright and grand piano mechanics and describes servicing and repairs with understandable, easy-to-follow instructions. The third edition of this invaluable handbook includes over 60 new and 300 remastered images of piano anatomy, tools, and techniques; consideration of ivory alternatives and the newest adhesives and lubricants; new material covering the art of tuning by ear and today’s sophisticated electronic tuning devices; new repair and rebuilding techniques; and a brand new glossary of terms. Piano Servicing, Tuning, and Rebuilding provides piano technician and servicing programs, pianists, and amateur players and hobbyists around the world with an essential twenty-first-century guide to achieving peak performance and maximum longevity for their instruments.

This collection of specially commissioned essays offers an accessible introduction to the history of the piano, performance styles, and its vast repertoire. Part 1 reviews the evolution of the piano, from its earliest forms up to the most recent developments, including the acoustics of the instrument. Part 2 explores the varied repertory in its social and stylistic contexts, including contemporary music, with a final chapter on jazz, blues and ragtime. The Companion also contains a glossary of important terms and will be a valuable source for the piano performer, student and enthusiast.