This book investigates the technical and cultural evolution of the pianoforte during the lifetimes of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven to challenge established musicological theories. Michael Cole, a specialist in historical keyboard instruments, utilizes a methodology rooted in primary source documentation and the physical examination of surviving instruments. By synthesizing these findings, he constructs a revised history of the piano that clarifies the mechanical and aesthetic parameters governing keyboard performance in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Experts recognize this work as a significant contribution to organology, particularly for its reliance on empirical evidence from surviving instruments. Readers frequently note the technical density of the prose, which serves as a foundational resource for musicologists and historical performance practitioners.