A Coveted Possession

The Rise and Fall of the Piano in Australia

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music, Instruments & Instruction, Piano & Keyboard, Theory & Criticism, History & Criticism, General Instruments
Cover of the book A Coveted Possession by Michael Atherton, Schwartz Publishing Pty. Ltd
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michael Atherton ISBN: 9781743820520
Publisher: Schwartz Publishing Pty. Ltd Publication: July 2, 2018
Imprint: La Trobe University Press Language: English
Author: Michael Atherton
ISBN: 9781743820520
Publisher: Schwartz Publishing Pty. Ltd
Publication: July 2, 2018
Imprint: La Trobe University Press
Language: English

The intriguing cultural history of the piano in Australia

From the instruments that floated ashore at Sydney Cove in the late eighteenth century to the resurrection of derelict heirlooms in the streets of twenty-first-century Melbourne, A Coveted Possession tells the curious story of Australia’s intimate and intrepid relationship with the piano. It charts the piano’s fascinating adventures across Australia – on the goldfields, at the frontlines of war, in the manufacturing hubs of the Federation era, and in the hands of the makers, entrepreneurs, teachers and virtuosos of the twentieth history – to illuminate the many worlds in which the ivories were tinkled.

Before electricity brought us the gramophone, the radio and eventually the TV, the piano was central to family and community life. With its iron frame, polished surfaces and ivory keys, an upright piano in the home was a modern industrial machine, a musical instrument and a treasured member of the household, conveying powerful messages about class, education, leisure, national identity and intergenerational history.

‘Michael Atherton cleverly weaves visual, sensual and sonic elements into the piano’s sociocultural history, adding a rich layer to our knowledge of the piano in Australia.’ —Professor Julia Horne, historian

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The intriguing cultural history of the piano in Australia

From the instruments that floated ashore at Sydney Cove in the late eighteenth century to the resurrection of derelict heirlooms in the streets of twenty-first-century Melbourne, A Coveted Possession tells the curious story of Australia’s intimate and intrepid relationship with the piano. It charts the piano’s fascinating adventures across Australia – on the goldfields, at the frontlines of war, in the manufacturing hubs of the Federation era, and in the hands of the makers, entrepreneurs, teachers and virtuosos of the twentieth history – to illuminate the many worlds in which the ivories were tinkled.

Before electricity brought us the gramophone, the radio and eventually the TV, the piano was central to family and community life. With its iron frame, polished surfaces and ivory keys, an upright piano in the home was a modern industrial machine, a musical instrument and a treasured member of the household, conveying powerful messages about class, education, leisure, national identity and intergenerational history.

‘Michael Atherton cleverly weaves visual, sensual and sonic elements into the piano’s sociocultural history, adding a rich layer to our knowledge of the piano in Australia.’ —Professor Julia Horne, historian

More books from Schwartz Publishing Pty. Ltd

Cover of the book My First Lesson by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book The Sound of Pictures by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book The Fireflies of Autumn by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book Losing Streak by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book Quarterly Essay 48 After the Future by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book Quarterly Essay 70 Dead Right by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book Quarterly Essay 52 Found in Translation by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book Eyewitness by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book Without My Mum by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book Try Whistling This by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book Quarterly Essay 74 The Prosperity Gospel by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book Gazing at the Stars by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book The Summer of ’82 by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book Blue Collar Frayed by Michael Atherton
Cover of the book Growing Up Asian in Australia by Michael Atherton
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy