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The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand
Times Books
August 2006
On Sale: July 25, 2006
304 pages ISBN: 0805078789 EAN: 9780805078787 Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
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
pianos 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.
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