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Piano: The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand

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Description

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. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Times Books; First edition (April 1, 2007)


Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2007


Language ‏ : ‎ English


File size ‏ : ‎ 5.5 MB


Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled


Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported


Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled


X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled


Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Monday, May 12

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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Great value
Great value, and a good read. Glad to add it to my library.
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2024 by CM
    • Enjoyably written!
Some books contain information, and some books are a pleasure to read. Piano by James Barron is both! As I read, I can practically see a fun-loving and slightly mischievous glint in Barron's eyes as he writes. And he covers much more than the technical aspect of building a piano -- he covers the history of the company and even the fascinating -- often cheerfully eccentric -- personalities of the many people involved. Amusing anecdotes? Piano has them, oh yes. Bribing the judges, anyone? Apparently, there were some rough-and-tumble times in the company's distant history. And the technical details are explained in layman's terms. Enjoy a great read! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2021 by Elliot N
    • PIANO OR PEOPLE
While I enjoyed this book, it is really much more about people than pianos, and the "common man" at that. Picturesque as they might be, many details about the workers' personal lives could have been spared. For those of us who play pianos but have never taken one apart, a labeled schematic would have been very helpful in understanding the text. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2006 by Dr. GF
    • Story of a Steinway Concert Grand Piano
Excellently and diligently written, this little book tells the story of one Steinway concert grand piano from conception to adolescence. Barron loves the piano, respects the Company, and is dilgent in showing the evolution of Steinway, as well as the creation of one, new opus - a 9 foot concert piano. Barron introduces us to the barons of Steinway and the individual craftsmen who hand make these excellent instruments. To me, the quality and individual character of each Steinway piano are no longer a mystery. Each time I play my own small grand piano (a quality A B Chase, close replica of the Steinway model S), I think of the efforts that went into it. Unlike Yamahas and such, the Steinway is an almost hand-built piano from a Company which has never relented in its determination to produce the best. The book also explains why age is not all that becoming in the tonal life of a piano. The instrument has a birth, a development, and an aging process which are measured in tonal character progress, not just years. The aged Steiway seems a time integral of all that has come before - including hundred year old designs and techniques, and all the way up to its last tuning. If you think a piano is a piano, is a piano, Barron's book will change your outlook. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2007 by J. Shaw
    • Thoroughly Enjoyed
Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book about the making of one particular Steinway grand piano, known as K0862, even though the person who recommended the book to me thought I would find it only mildly interesting, probably a three-star book. That wasn't the case. I enjoyed the telling of this nonfiction story and I enjoyed the easy-going writing, and I never felt that the details were padded or obtrusive. When the documentary based on this book came out, I watched it and enjoyed it. As for the book, I passed it on to a friend who liked it, and he passed it on to another friend. If you're interested in the history of manufacturing (even though of a grand piano), in how changing times necessitate changes in practice, in skilled craftsmanship, and in learning more about pianos, you will enjoy this book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2011 by Ohioan
    • Needs Images
Part of this book describes how a piano is built, and that is not possible to convey without diagrams and/or photos. The only photos are grainy black & white images of craftspeople at the Steinway factory-- interesting, but lending nothing to understanding these insanely complicated devices, a complexity that cannot be conveyed in words, no matter how deft the writer. Apart from that, the book has interesting thumbnail sketches of the employees involved at the time of writing (late oughts), and that part is well done. Woven in is a light history of the Steinway family and business. A more detailed history can be found in Richard Lieberman's Steinway and Sons. The reader cannot help but wonder about the ways in which the company controlled access to its employees for this sunny view of its story. Still, an entertaining and informative read-- just not as fulfilling as I wished. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2021 by John Weinshel
    • Great story writing for Steinway lovers
Puts real stories about the workers at Steinway Explains the Steinway family history well Good explanation of the Steinway technology in particular part No. 81
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2023 by Johannes Stahl
    • Entertaining and Informative
Anyone who loves music will find much to like in this labor of love by a first-rate reporter who documents the creation of a Steinway concert grand. James Barron recounts the history of the Steinway family and their company, both in Hamburg and New York. The book reads like a novel and you become attached to the many characters whose work brings forth this work of art, first named K0862, then CD-60, a company designation for the book's principal character, a concert grand traveling around the country as the artists who perform on it do. You fall a bit in love with the piano and worry and cheer for it as it begins its career. The story of the missing screw is priceless. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2006 by Robert V. Jones

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