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Table of Contents
About The Book
You'll read about how a note is produced, why a chord can move us, why the piano -- "hero and villain" of tonality -- has shaped the course of Western music, and why it is growing obsolete. Rosen explains what it means that Beethoven composed in his head whereas Mozart would never dream of doing so, why there are no fortissimos in the works of Ravel, and why a piano player's acrobatics have an important dramatic effect but nothing more. Ending on a contemplative note, Piano Notes offers an elegant argument that piano music "is not just sound or even significant sound" but a mechanical, physical, and fetishistic experience that faces new challenges in an era of recorded music. Rosen ponders whether piano playing will ever again be the same, and his insights astonish.
Product Details
- Publisher: Free Press (February 3, 2004)
- Length: 256 pages
- ISBN13: 9780743243124
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Raves and Reviews
The New York Review of Books If your shelves have room for one volume about the piano from glory to decline, Piano Notes is the book of choice.
The New York Times A fascinating analysis of a performer's relationship to his instrument.
The Economist Rosen brings all of his experience as one of the most intellectually rigorous pianists and brilliant music historians alive today to this wide-ranging and approachable book.
American Record Guide A gold mine of experience and wisdom.
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Piano Notes Trade Paperback 9780743243124(0.9 MB)
- Author Photo (jpg): Charles Rosen Photo Credit: Don Hunstein(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit