Chopin's Piano

Name: Chopin's Piano
Brand: Penguin Random House NZ
SKU: 9780141980560
Price: 30.0 NZD
Availability: InStock

A Journey through Romanticism

By Paul Kildea

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3.69

( 306 ratings, 64 reviews)

Summary

Chopin's Piano by Paul Kildea explores the fascinating journey of a Pleyel piano that belonged to Frédéric Chopin. The book delves into the piano's role in Chopin's compositions and its mysterious impact on the artistic world. This narrative weaves together music history, biography, and a touch of intrigue, captivating readers with the cultural and historical significance of a single instrument.
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Format: Paperback / softback

$30⁰⁰

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Chopin's Piano

$30⁰⁰

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you have a passion for classical music and are fascinated by the intricate history of famous composers. This engaging narrative intertwines the life and music of Chopin with the story of a particular piano that influenced his work, offering insights into music history and artistry. Perfect for anyone interested in the cultural impact of musical instruments and their stories across time.

Chopin's Piano

Description

A dazzling exploration of Romantic music unlike any other, from one of the most exciting writers about classical music.

Chopin's Piano begins in November 1838, when George Sand, her children, and Frederick Chopin took a boat to Majorca for the winter. It describes their circumstances there, and how Chopin completed one of the most revolutionary works in the history of music—his Preludes—on 'a small Mallorquin piano' which he picked up when they arrived and carted up to the monastery in the mountains where he and Sand lodged.

Kildea traces the history of the Preludes, their pianists, their interpretations, and the history of the Mallorquin piano itself, to find an unexpected path through the history of romantic music—via Wanda Landowska in Berlin in 1913, Paris in 1940-41 when the Nazis seized the piano, down to the end of romantic music.

It is an astonishing narrative and detective story, an unclassifiable and thrilling book, which explores in an original way the changing meaning of music through time.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Kildea's Piano is praised for its engaging narrative that intertwines cultural, historical, and musical elements. Reviewers appreciate Kildea's elegant writing style and deep scholarship. The book intriguingly explores the history of Chopin's work, the evolution of piano craftsmanship, and the intersection of music with 20th-century atrocities, offering readers a fresh perspective on Chopin and his compositions.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141980560

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 August 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 270g

Pages: 368

Collections

Arts & Culture Non-Fiction Paul Kildea Penguin Books

About the Author

Paul Kildea holds an honours degree in piano performance and a masters degree in musicology from The University of Melbourne - where he is now an Honorary Principal Fellow and where in 2016 he was Miegunyah Distinguished Visiting Fellow - and a doctorate from Oxford University. His books include Selling Britten and Britten on Music. In January 2013 Penguin published Benjamin Britten- A Life in the Twentieth Century to enormous critical acclaim; it is now widely recognized as the best book on its subject, the Financial Times calling it 'unquestionably the music book of the year.' In June 2018 Penguin published Chopin's Piano- A Journey Through Romanticism, which is currently being developed as a feature film. In October 2019 he succeeded Carl Vine as Artistic Director of Musica Viva, Australia.