88 Keys - The Making of a Steinway Piano
by Miles Chapin
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Book Summary Information
Author: Miles ChapinBrand: Amadeus Press
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-10-15
ISBN: 1574671529
Number of pages: 144
Publisher: Amadeus Press
Product features:
- Published by Amadeus Press 144 Pages
- by Miles Chapin Illustrations by Rodica Prato
- Author: Miles Chapin
Book Reviews of 88 Keys - The Making of a Steinway Piano
Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars
I think B Stewart's review sums up a lot of the problems here, and I agree with what he says.
My feeling is that 99 Keys was intended to be a coffee table book. The writing is pretty terrible, and the organization is even worse. The best comparison I can think of is that this is like a high school paper on Steinway -- some kid sat down with a bunch of books and did his best to distill them all in to one text. I don't think this would have been published had it not been a Steinway descendant at the helm.
I'm also not a fan of the constant marketing angle. 88 keys is like a big ol' brochure; saying nothing remotely negative or even insightful.
And I'm tired of the illustrations. Why is everything a drawing? Why are key illustrations left out, but some of the page is occupied by a "timeline" which is totally meaningless and useless.
Out of all the books I've read on pianos, this is the worst.
Summary of 88 Keys - The Making of a Steinway Piano
More than 500 people are involved in the creation of just one of the world's greatest pianos, the Steinway. From the selection and aging of wood to the delicate voicing of the finished instrument, this special reissue of 88 Keys - The Making of a Steinway Piano relates the story behind the instrument's intricate formation, as told by Miles Chapin, a fifth-generation descendant of Steinway's founder, Henry Engelhard Steinway. Readers will learn about how the piano gets its trademark curve, the "belly men" who fit the metal harp to the wooden frame, the carvers who shape the piano's legs and pedal lyre, and the many other craftspeople who have perfected their specialized contributions to the finished product. They'll also get an insider's look into the company's history against a timeline of major worldwide music events, and into the roles of piano greats, including Anton Rubinstein and Sergei Rachmaninoff, in contributing to its prominence. A glossary of technical terms is included. For music lovers, aspiring musicians, and pianists everywhere.The piano may well be the world's most versatile instrument, and the Steinway is the United States's most celebrated manufacturer. This handsome volume takes you inside the process of building a Steinway, from the selection of the woods (yellow birch, sugar maple, sugar pine, yellow poplar, Sitka spruce, and, for the exteriors, various hardwoods) through the construction of the soundboard and keyboard, from the manufacture of the piano's rim and case through the building of the metal harp that holds the strings, and to the final assembly and finishing. Along the way are sections on history and physics (good tone doesn't just happen) and a useful glossary. 88 Keys is a fascinating and eminently readable book for anyone with an interest in the art of the piano.
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