Pianoforte: A Social History of the Piano

by Dieter Hildebrandt, Harriet Goodman (Translator)

According to Dieter Hildebrandt, the piano is a revolutionary figure and its story a grand adventure. One by one, the memorable geniuses make their appearance: Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt. Other highlights include the great piano duels (Bach v. Marchand, Mozart v. Clementi), the dawning era of the concert tour and the music critic, and the obsessions of the leading figures.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Dieter Hildebrandt was an award-winning German cabaret artist.

In 1948 he started studying theatre arts in Munich. During that time he founded a student-performed cabaret show, "Die Namenlosen" ("The Nameless"), in Munich-Schwabing. After finishing his studies Hildebrandt worked with another cabaret artist, Sammy Drechsel, to found and develop the "Münchner Lach und Schießgesellschaft", a successful cabaret venue where he also worked alongside other cabaret artists such as Klaus Havenstein and Bruno Jonas. He terminated his cooperation with Drechsel in 1972, to focus on working for various radio and TV stations.

From 1973 until 1979, Hildebrandt was the presenter and author of the cabaret show "Notizen aus der Provinz" ("Notes From the Provinces"), which was broadcast by German national TV channel ZDF. In 1974, together with Werner Schneyder, he created the show "Autorenkabarett" ("Authors' Cabaret"), which existed until 1982. In 1980 his show "Scheibenwischer" ("Windscreen Wiper") first aired on local Berlin TV channel SFB. It later switched to national channel ARD and remained on the air until 2003. Hildebrandt also frequently took his cabaret performances on the road. Learning that he had cancer in the summer of 2013, he had planned to go on a final tour in 2014, but died within a few months of being diagnosed.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book one summer when I was in college. I think I received it from my parents for my birthday. This book tapped my love of music and history, and, if I am remembering correctly, influenced my decisions to write a college junior paper and senior thesis on historical topics related to music and society.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is, undoubtedly, a crowd pleaser, especially for readers who are already interested in famous classical pianists (or who may be pianists themselves). My only qualms were [1] the extent of Hildebrandt's lifting from source material. One or two quotations from a source, fine; after 4-5 longish, indented quotes from a single text, then repeated for the 6-8 sources that make up each chapter, it gets to be a bit much. I will say, however, his bibliography is a very useful starting point for readers/researchers who want to explore the material further. [2] The misleading subtitle of the English edition. I believe the German title is Pianoforte: Der Roman des Klaviers im 19. Jahrhundert ("Pianoforte: The Story of the Piano in the 19th Century"), which is entirely more in line with what the book offers. Each chapter offers a smattering of the "greatest hits" figures of musical Romanticism. "A Social History of the Piano," it is not, as ideas around the public's concept and reception of the instrument are, throughout the book, secondary. (I have to say, I started reading this book because I thought it was going to offer more of a reception history of the instrument.) To enhance its readability and narrative, I can see why Hildebrandt (whom I've learned is not a musician, but a journalist & actor) wrote it the way he did (and likely did not have any control over the English edition's subtitle).

Overall, I would recommend this book to classical music lovers. I would also recommend creating your own listening list from the musical pieces that Hildebrandt discusses.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leuk om te lezen, zeker als je zelf piano speelt ...