Helpful Subject Headings
Subject Headings are standard terms that can be used to find resources on a given topic. The following can be used in either keyword or subject searches:
Violin Call Numbers
| M | Music (scores) |
| M21-39 | Solo piano |
| M200-215 | Piano duets |
| M214-215 | Two-piano works |
| M1010 | Piano with orchestra, full scores |
| M1011 | Piano with orchestra, piano reductions |
| M1110 | Piano with string orchestra, full scores |
| M1111 | Piano with string orchestra, piano reductions |
| ML |
Music literature |
| ML128 .P3 | Bibliographies of piano music |
|
ML650-697 |
Piano history and criticism |
| MT | Instruction and study |
| MT220-252 |
Technique, methods, and etudes |
Featured Books
Piano by
An alluring exploration of the people and the legendary craftsmanship behind a single Steinway piano Like no other instrument, a grand piano melds engineering feats with the magical sounds of great music: the thunder of a full-throated bass, the bright, delicate trill of the upper treble. Alone among the big piano companies, Steinway still crafts all of its pianos largely by hand, imbuing each one with the promise and burden of its brand. In this captivating narrative, James Barron of The New York Times tells the story of one Steinway piano, from raw lumber to finished instrument. Barron follows that brand-new piano--known by its number, K0862--on its eleven-month journey through the Steinway factory, where time-honored manufacturing methods vie with modern-day industrial efficiency. He looks over the shoulders of men and women--some second- and third-generation employees, some recently arrived immigrants--who transform wood and steel into a concert grand. Together, they carry on the traditions begun more than 150 years ago by the immigrants who founded Steinway & Sons--a family that soared to prominence in the music world and, for a while, in New York City's political and economic life. Barron also explores the art and science of developing a piano's timbre and character before its first performance, when the essential question will be answered: Does K0862 live up to the Steinway legend? From start to finish, Piano will charm and enlighten music lovers.
Piano 300 by
The piano is where art, craftsmanship, musicianship, design and technology meet to form one of the most beloved and popular musical instruments of our times. The exhibition Piano 300 at the Smithsonian's International Gallery in Washington D.C. in 2000 and 2001 presented the astonishing 300-year history of this great musical instrument from its beginnings in Florence to the great manufacturers of the last century. The instruments themselves, and also the composers, performers, makers, teachers, and publishers connected with them, were represented in a highly successful display that attracted over 330,000 visitors in 20 months. Part exhibition catalogue, part technical and social history of the piano, PIANO 300: Celebrating Three Centuries of People and Pianos presents the exhibition's highlights in a lavishly illustrated book that captures the visual excitement of this authoritative survey of one of western culture's most pervasive musical icons. Scarecrow Press is proud to be the distributor in association with the National Museum of American History, Behring Center, Smithsonian Institution and NAMM-International Music Products Association.
A Natural History of the Piano by
A beautifully illustrated, totally engrossing celebration of the piano, and the composers and performers who have made it their own. With honed sensitivity and unquestioned expertise, Stuart Isacoff--pianist, critic, teacher, and author of Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization--unfolds the ongoing history and evolution of the piano and all its myriad wonders: how its very sound provides the basis for emotional expression and individual style, and why it has so powerfully entertained generation upon generation of listeners. He illuminates the groundbreaking music of Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Schumann, and Debussy. He analyzes the breathtaking techniques of Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Arthur Rubinstein, and Van Cliburn, and he gives musicians including Alfred Brendel, Murray Perahia, Menahem Pressler, and Vladimir Horowitz the opportunity to discuss their approaches. Isacoff delineates how classical music and jazz influenced each other as the uniquely American art form progressed from ragtime, novelty, stride, boogie, bebop, and beyond, through Scott Joplin, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Cecil Taylor, and Bill Charlap. A Natural History of the Piano distills a lifetime of research and passion into one brilliant narrative. We witness Mozart unveiling his monumental concertos in Vienna's coffeehouses, using a special piano with one keyboard for the hands and another for the feet; European virtuoso Henri Herz entertaining rowdy miners during the California gold rush; Beethoven at his piano, conjuring healing angels to console a grieving mother who had lost her child; Liszt fainting in the arms of a page turner to spark an entire hall into hysterics. Here is the instrument in all its complexity and beauty. We learn of the incredible craftsmanship of a modern Steinway, the peculiarity of specialty pianos built for the Victorian household, the continuing innovation in keyboards including electronic ones. And most of all, we hear the music of the masters, from centuries ago and in our own age, brilliantly evoked and as marvelous as its most recent performance. With this wide-ranging volume, Isacoff gives us a must-have for music lovers, pianists, and the armchair musician.
The Piano by
This lavishly illustrated history of the piano presents a comprehensive survey of the best-known makes and manufacturers and offers a guide to purchasing the right piano, from selection to care and restoration. Piano enthusiasts will delight in the stunning photography and captivating narrative on the modern piano's 300-year history. Illustrations.
Bibliographies
Piano, the Instrument by
Entries are organized into six sections by topic: the first section lists works containing general information, including but not limited to, books and articles covering a wide range of topics, introductory materials, and serial titles. The second section covers the history on piano and is arranged by country. The section on builders and manufacturers is arranged by name of builder or manufacturer. The sections on construction and maintenance are arranged by parts of the piano. The section on miscellaneous subjects includes catalogs for collections of instruments, works about pedal pianos, pianos associated with composers, selection and purchase, works intended for younger readers, and works about other miscellaneous topics not included above. Readers are referred to the subject index for further cross-referencing. Referencing literature on every aspect of the piano, this annotated bibliography will cut down on research time for scholars and students, directing them to the most relevant and useful sources. No music library should be without it.
The Piano in Chamber Ensemble, Second Edition by
The Piano in Chamber Ensemble describes more than 3,200 compositions, from duos to octets, by more than 1,600 composers. It is divided into sections according to the number of instruments involved, then subdivided according to the actual scoring. Keyboard, string, woodwind, brass, and percussion players and their teachers will find a wealth of chamber works from all periods.
