Don’t be in the dark about pianos

There are a lot of National Such-and-Such Month celebrations and many

of them exist just as promotional gimmicks for various industries.

September is National Piano Month and it is, indeed, a creation of

the National Piano Foundation, the educational wing of the Piano

Manufacturers Assn. International.

But who is going to quibble with such a fine idea? Next to the

guitar, the piano is the most widely played instrument in the world.

There are more than 10 million pianos in use in the United States.

Known as the “king of instruments,” the piano outdoes any instrument

in tonal range, covering the full range of instruments in an

orchestra. What’s more, it can produce a melody and its accompaniment

at the same time!

The library has a lot of interesting material for and about the

piano. If you already play the instrument, there are lots of

songbooks available for checking out that come with piano

accompaniment like “100 Great Love Songs” and “Easy Dixie.” For the

more classically minded, there are titles such as “Bach, Beethoven

and Brahms” and “Debussy: the Very Best.”

If you don’t already play the piano or are among the 90% of piano

students who dropped out and say they wish they hadn’t, there are

instructional books and films to get you started or back on track.

“The Adult Piano Method,” “Play Piano in a Flash” and “Music Reading

for Keyboard” are examples of books that can get you going. There is

also “Keyboard Basics” on DVD and “Piano for Quitters” on video to

help inspire you.

Needless to say, one doesn’t have to play the piano to appreciate

the sound generated by the instrument. The CD collection at the

library can fill a lot of pleasurable listening hours. The titles

cover everything from Bach’s “Goldberg Variations,” played by Glenn

Gould, to Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor,” played by

Cecile Licade and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Does your taste run more to jazz and pop? Try Keith Jarrett on

“Standards Live,” or get a double treat with Duke Ellington’s “The

Count Meets The Duke.” Bruce Hornsby’s “A Night on the Town,” “The

Best of Emerson, Lake & Palmer,” and “Ain’t that Fine” by Ray Charles

are just a sampling of available music from the great rock and soul

keyboardists.

While it’s true that the piano produces sound, it’s also great fun

to watch great players play. To that end you can also find DVDs such

as “The Cliburn: Playing on the Edge,” “Piano Grand!” and, for some

truly inspired piano silliness, “The Best of Victor Borge: Act One &

Two.”

If the piano fascinates you, here are some good reads that are

highly recommended. Richard K. Lieberman tells the story of William

and Theodore Steinway and their struggle to build the world’s best

piano (and to market it so that their name would become synonymous

with the instrument itself) in “Steinway and Sons.” “Piano Shop on

the Left Bank: Discovering a Forgotten Passion in a Paris Atelier,”

by Thaddeus Carhart, is a sensual delight of a music lover’s memoir,

with all the sights, sounds and smells of Paris.

So, honky-tonk, bebop and Baroque fans, explore the pleasures of

the piano this month at the library. Whether you want to play or just

enjoy, there is something for every taste.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Sara Barnicle. All titles may be

reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at

https://www.newportbeach

library.org. For more information on the Central Library or any of

the branch locations, please contact the Newport Beach Public Library

at (949) 717-3800, option 2.