How the Piano Came to Be

The book offers a lively illustrated journey through the evolution of keyboard instruments, tracing their path from ancient stringed devices to the modern piano. It weaves together myth, biblical references, Egyptian discoveries and Greek legends, showing how early lyres, clavichords and harpsichords gradually gave rise to larger, more powerful keyboards. Rich drawings of upright harpsichords, spinet violins and early piano prototypes let listeners picture each stage as the story unfolds.

The narrative follows colorful tales such as Hermes striking a dead tortoise shell to hear its stretched sinews vibrate, and the spectacular harps uncovered in Pharaoh Rameses’ tomb. It then moves forward to the inventive work of makers like Matthäus Stein, Benjamin Crehore and Charles Albrecht, whose designs edged ever closer to the concert‑grand piano we know today. Presented in an engaging, conversational style, the account makes a scholarly subject feel like a friendly tour of music history.