The piano puts whole worlds of musical sound at the fingertips of one player, evoking the singing of a solo voice, the textural richness of an orchestra, & the rhythmic impetus of a dance band. It has been background or center stage in concertgoing, parlor singing, choir rehearsals, theatrical tryouts, & many other activities, forging a common bond among people of very different social spheres. This delightfully written & copiously illustrated book examines the place of the piano in classical & popular musical cultures & the piano's changing cultural roles over the past three centuries. Eminent authorities discuss the impetus for the invention of the piano; the innovations in its design, manufacturing, & marketing that promoted its growing significance in concert life & domestic life; & the importance of the piano lesson in the upbringing of the young--especially of girls. They explore the relationship between the piano on the public stage & the piano in the parlor; the spread of the piano to all parts of the world; & the images formed around the piano in literature, art, & movies. & they eloquently describe what the piano has meant to different eras, as it evolved from the plaything of European aristocrats to companion of people of all classes & cultures.