200 Years of Piano Playing - MUS00132M

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Module summary

This module outlines the development of the piano, pianism and piano literature
over the past 200 years, discussing perspectives of music history, aesthetics, canonicity and
piano method.

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 2 2025-26

Module aims

The past 200 years have been some of the most turbulent in human history with numerous
technological advancements and changes in society occurring: from the Industrial
Revolution in the nineteenth century to scientific innovations and the rise of electronic
media and AI in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries — from the middle class coming
into being to societal diversity and pluralism. These changes have affected our view of the
world and ways we create art, making us radically rethink tradition and even overturn its
rules. Amongst all of this, questions arise of how these developments impacted on piano
and pianism, and what the future holds for our beloved instrument.

In this module we explore aspects of music history, aesthetics, canon-formation and piano
method. We, for instance ask questions such as ‘What is Romanticism?’, ‘Why and how did
Chopin and Liszt become the undisputed giants of the nineteenth century piano world?’ and
‘How did the musico-stylistic diversity of the twentieth century affect the development of
pianism?’. Furthermore, we approach the sensitive topic of why certain canonised
composers have been elevated onto quasi-religious heights and others have been neglected
by the canon. We also look at the practicalities of piano playing and performance, searching
for answers to questions such as ‘How do we memorise and how do we make our memory
more reliable?’ or ‘What is the value of recordings, and how can we use technology in a
meaningful way?’.

Module learning outcomes

At the end of this module, students will be able to
1) Outline the main stylistic developments of classical piano music from the early 1800s
to today.
2) Appreciate the impact of socio-cultural factors and technological innovations on
canon formation, concert life and the development of pianism.
3) Articulate various approaches to piano performance and practice method.
4) Independently find, critically evaluate and utilise a range of relevant sources.
5) Demonstrate a broad understanding of the range of existing scholarly research and
artistic approaches relevant to a chosen topic.

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

EITHER
a 2000–3000-word essay on a research topic chosen by the student in consultation with the module leader

OR

a portfolio of written work or/and audio-visual material, consisting of 2-3 items and totalling approximately 3000 words. Precise content to be agreed by student with module leader.

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Module feedback

You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times.

Indicative reading

Neuhaus, Heinrich: The Art of Piano Playing, K.A. Leibovitch (translation); London,
Kahn & Averill, 1993.

Taruskin, Richard. “Virtuosos”. In The Oxford History of Western Music, Vol. 3, 251-
288. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Varró, Margit: Dynamic Piano Teaching; Leipzig, Simrock, 1966.

Weber, William. “The History of Musical Canon” in Rethinking Music, 336-355, edited
by Nicholas Cook and Mark Everist. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.