The Companion to The Mechanical Muse: The Piano, Pianism and Piano Music, c.1760?1850

Intended as a supplement to The Mechanical Muse: the Piano, Piano Music and Pianism c.1760-1850, this
Companion provides additional information which, largely for reasons of space but also of continuity, it was
not possible or desirable to include in that volume. The book is laid out alphabetically and full biographical
entries are provided for all musical figures mentioned, including composers, performers, theoreticians and
teachers, as well as piano makers and publishers of music, within the period covered by The Mechanical
Muse. There are also entries on figures of importance from outside the period but whose influence is
palpably important within it, such as J.S. Bach. As well as biographical information, all these entries contain
lists of principal works and a section on further reading so that readers can follow up people and matters of
particular interest.
Also included in The Companion are entries devoted to particular works and other information of relevance,
such as descriptions of musical forms, characteristics of dances and so on, as well as some technical
information on music and explanations of technical terms pertaining to keyboard instruments themselves and
to ways of playing them.
This Companion is not intended to replace existing reference books such as Grove or Musik in Geschichte
und Gegenwart, but will be useful for those who desire to know more about a particular topic and do not
necessarily have access to more specialist reference works, or time to visit large or specialist libraries. As
such it is indispensable to users of The Mechanical Muse.

CONTENIDO:

Introduction
Dates
Abbreviations and Cross-References
The Companion