A History of Pianoforte Pedalling

A history of piano pedalling from its beginnings in the eighteenth century to its maturity in the nineteenth century.

David Rowland (Author)

9780521607513, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 19 August 2004

208 pages
24.4 x 18.8 x 1.3 cm, 0.38 kg

"Rowland has done a great service by gathering together all of the 'hard' evidence: quotations from treatises, descriptions of performances, students' accounts, and musical examples with composers' pedal markings. Pianists will find much that is fascinating ..." Early Keyboard Journal

David Rowland traces the history of piano pedalling from its beginnings in the eighteenth century to its first maturity in the middle of the nineteenth century and beyond. Pedalling technique was a major feature of nineteenth-century piano performance and, coupled with new developments in piano structure, inspired many composers to write innovative works for the literature. Rowland examines this through the technique and music of composer-pianists such as Beethoven, Liszt, and Chopin. In addition, he follows the transition from harpsichord and clavichord to piano and outlines the physical properties of the various stops, levers, and pedals available at the different stages of the instrument's development. The book also includes an appendix of translated extracts from three well-known piano-pedalling tutors. It will be of interest to students and scholars of music history and performance practice, as well as to pianists.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part I: The Instruments: 1. The transition from the harpsichord and clavichord to the piano
2. Stops, levers and pedals
Part II. Pedalling and the Early Pianists: 3. Documentary accounts of early pedalling
4. Early technique of the pedals as described in tutors
5. Early pedal markings
6. Mozart and his contemporaries
Part III. Pedalling After c.1820: 7. The emergence of modern pedalling
8. The sustaining pedal after c.1800
9. Other pedals from c.1800
Appendix: J. P. Milchmeyer, Die wahre Art das Pianoforet zu spielen
Louis Adam: Méthode de Piano du Conservatoire
Daniel Steibelt, Méthode de Piano.

Subject Areas: Techniques of music / music tutorials [AVS]