Mr. Langshaw's Square Piano: The Story of the First Pianos and How They Caused a Cultural Revolution

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Description

A handwritten serial number inside a neglected Broadwood square piano built in 1807 launches a captivating quest to uncover the remarkable history of these now almost forgotten musical instruments.

Reviews

"A wealth of fascinating stories and characters . . . One of the strengths of Ms. Goold's fine book is showing us how the presence of pianos expanded and deepened the cultural life . . . Ms. Goold has herself produced an enchanting work." --"Wall Street Journal"
"An extraordinary book." --"Booklist "
"Elegantly combines nostalgic reminiscences with serious historical research and plenty of in-depth techincal detail . . . Beautifully presented and often rather moving, this is an unusual and charming book." --"Classic FM Magazine (UK) "
"Goold's writing shows the mark of a true storyteller . . . she shows the rise of the square [piano] as a bridge to many things: from the harpsichord to the modern piano, from the elite aristocratic society to the "middling sort," from one-of-a-kind production to a business of mass production . . . can be read as much for social history as for keyboard history." --"Harpsichord & Fortepiano Magazine"
"It was a serial number inside an antique piano which launched Madeline Goold on the quest to discover its first owner . . . Goold's piano was made by Broadwood, an English piano-maker so confident that it sent one of its grand pianos as a gift to Beethoven. Amazingly, Broadwood still has most of its archive records of sales from the 1770s onwards." --"The Guardian (UK) "
"Part detective story . . part social history . . absorbing." --"The Birmingham Post (UK) "
"This delightful book is a story about the life and times of . . . a little Broadwood square piano made in 1807 . . . Goold succeeds admirably, and the thoroughness of her research is particularly impressive . . . fascinating and informative." --"Early Music America Magazine"
"This is a truly remarkable and delightful book . . . We are given a wide-ranging and extremely detailed overview of the birth, mechanics and development of the square piano . . . And at the same time we meet the host of people who were involved in its production and burgeoning popularity." --"The Jane Austen Society Newsletter (UK) "

Author Bio

Madeline Goold holds a law degree from the London School of Economics. A sculptor and artist, she has also taught piano, which she has played since childhood.