A Natural History of the Piano: The Instrument, the Music, the Musicians--from Mozart to Modern Jazz and Everything in Between Hardback - 2011

Media reviews

“Like listening to a fascinating raconteur who informs and entertains and really knows his stuff . . . Passion and unstoppable enthusiasm are palpable throughout this beautifully written and illustrated book . . . Isacoff’s heartfelt history of the piano will make you want to Stop! Read! and then go Listen!”
            -Eugenia Zukerman, The Washington Post
 
“That rarest of treats: a substantial book about music that’s actually easy to read . . . The book’s strongest passages are those in which Isacoff dwells on the instrument itself, relating several fascinating tales about its invention, metamorphosis and extra-musical developments . . . As a primer on the piano and music history . . . it executes the job with distinction.”
            -Zachary Lewis, Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
“Isacoff follows the piano into the honkytonk, the drawing room, the middle-class home and the jazz club, tracking the evolution of the physical instrument itself as well as the composers and performers who made the piano an emblem of cultural variety and a laboratory for musical form . . . His discussion of jazz piano reflects an intense affection for the music and its practitioners.”
            -James Penrose, The Wall Street Journal
 
“Stuart Isacoff, pianist, critic and academic, leads readers on a journey of discovery in A Natural History of the Piano…the music, the musicians and ‘the wondrous box’ itself: a volume to inspire and delight.”
            -Liz Thomson, The Independent (UK)

“Deft . . . In A Natural History of the Piano, Isacoff proves as fleet-fingered as any virtuoso.”
            -Peter Monaghan, The Chronicle of Higher Education
 
“A history written by a pianist and historian with a lively touch and a reach that spans octaves of science, culture and politics . . . A generous, welcoming book, full of oddities and insights.”
            -Bill Marvel, The Dallas Morning News
 
“On every page we sense Isacoff’s enthusiasm and lifelong dedication to the art of the piano . . . A Natural History of the Piano contains a wealth of information, lavish illustrations, thought-provoking comments, and, most of all, it is a pleasure to read.”
            -Susan Geffen, Clavier Companion
 
“An exhaustive and entertaining cultural history of the piano . . . ‘Sparkling discourse’ is his aim, and he succeeds . . . An enjoyable read.”
            -Susan E. Saltus, Newark Star-Ledger
 
“Entertaining . . . Crammed with great anecdotes and mini-essays.”
            -Melinda Bargreen, The Seattle Times
 
“Informative, comprehensive, and conversational . . . Refreshing . . . A deft rendering.”
            -Choice
 
 “The perfect gift book . . . A Natural History of the Piano, so layered with anecdote that it reads like a novel or a good biography, explores the story of the piano: its players, composers, and inventors, teachers and students, patrons, critics, and performers . . . Wonderful.”
            -Ann La Farge, Hudson Valley News
 
“A lively, virtually all-inclusive survey of all things pianistic . . . Isacoff’s ability to convey his formidable erudition in the most engaging terms, coupled with his infectious enthusiasm for music of all kinds, make this a charming and highly readable potpourri. Informative fun for every variety of music lover.”
            -Kirkus
 
“Engrossing . . . Witty . . . Pianists at all levels, music history buffs, and academics will appreciate Isacoff’s insights and clever way with words; this is an enjoyable and informative book.”
            -Library Journal
 
“An encyclopedic and argumentative overview of all things piano . . . [Isacoff’s stylistic] groups—combustibles, alchemists, rhythmizers, and melodists—shape a piano gestalt through which readers will be impressed . . . by the depth and diversity of Isacoff’s research and references.”
            -Publishers Weekly
 
“Dizzy Gillespie used to tell his musicians, whatever their instruments, to come to the piano with him as he said, ‘The music is all there.’ In Stuart Isacoff’s A Natural History of the Piano, never before have I learned and enjoyed so much about the instrument and its most distinctive practitioners—transcending so many categories of music. Whether the subject is jazz or classical music, the writing is unfailingly engaging and revealing.”
            -Nat Hentoff
 
“Anybody who cares about the piano—past, present and future—will find this book irresistible reading. I always learn so much from Stuart Isacoff and have a good time in the process.”
            -Tim Page
 
“Stuart Isacoff’s A Natural History of the Piano is a dazzling structural juxtaposition from Mozart, Liszt and Horowitz to Joplin, Tatum and Jerry Lee Lewis, written with verve and sensitivity. Piano lovers will eat it up!”
            -David Dubal, author of The Art of the Piano
 
“Every page of this book is filled with the poetry of Isacoff’s writing as he outlines the fascinating development of the piano and its effect on music tradition throughout the centuries. The research is of great depth: how Isacoff weaves what he has discovered into a gripping and entertaining narrative is sheer magic. Essential reading for anyone who embraces not only the piano, but music, history, and culture. Bravo, Maestro Isacoff!” 
            -Frank Brady, author of Endgame
 
“I loved this book. Isacoff tells the story of the piano through every conceivable device and viewpoint: profiles of the jazz and classical masters of the instrument, technical details, social history, anecdotal sidebars, interviews and unexpected digressions. And he never forgets that piano lore includes the highest of high culture as well as the pop-est of pop. It’s a terrifically enjoyable read.”
            -Sara Fishko, Producer/Host, WNYC (New York Public Radio)
 
“Supremely informative as well as fascinating and entertaining—highly recommended.”
            -Vladimir Ashkenazy
 
“Stuart Isacoff’s great meditation on all piano-related matters is a delight, both informative and entertaining. To borrow the author’s categories, I find the writing both melodic and combustible.”
            -Dick Hyman
 
“Irresistible! Stuart Isacoff charts the three-century evolution of the world’s most popular instrument with insight, love, and wit, garnished with the wisdom of today’s foremost masters of classical and jazz.”
            -Sedgwick Clark, editor, Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts