Thad Carhart – The Piano Shop of the Left Bank - Review

A beautiful musical instrument can be compared to a great vintage wine; one does not need to know all its subtleties in order to appreciate its fine texture, bouquet, and unique taste. Familiarity with art, for example, bolsters one's appreciation of its many forms, and puts one in a frame of mind never to take it for granted. In ~The Piano Shop on the Left Bank~ we are permitted entry into the world of the connoisseur of fine pianos and the magic of superior music. This book describes a re-acquaintance with a love affair of pianos, against the backdrop of romantic Paris and the diverse and unusual characters that make-up this world.

An American living in Paris comes across a little piano repair shop that lies almost hidden from the frantic vagaries of modern life. Something about the little shop captures his attention - a spell is cast, and with some persistence, he gains admittance into a secret world for the initiated only - and his journey begins into that predominately guarded artisan society in Paris which the general, foreign public believe only exists in 19th century novels. This elegant text is written with thoughtful care and attention that displays an attitude of mind that is quite rare.

Because Carhart is honest about his love affair with the piano and the Classic and Romantic music that we associate with the instrument, Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven and Scarlatti, the reader cannot help but remember personal associations with this world. While reading the text, images from my own past concerning music and the piano rose to consciousness - lying at my mother's feet while she played Chopin, being fascinated by the movement of her feet as she depressed the foot pedals and the distinct fragrance of the wood. This beguiling book captures many such images and much more.

The book is also unique in so far as the reader receives a history lesson on the piano, from its beginnings in 16th century Italy to its height with the American Steinway to its circular return to Italy, the Fazioli, the finest hand made piano in the world. We actually meet Paola Fazioli in the book and experience the utter majesty and beauty of his creations. To be sure, without question, I felt humbled in the presence of this man and his works of art, following Carhart as he's invited to sit down and play the legendary 'Faziloi 308' - 'the world's most expensive piano' - actually feeling the instruments power of tone through the words on the page.

~The Piano Shop on the Left Bank~ is one of those texts which is difficult to put down, but you do so anyway because you want the reading experience to last. And once the book is finally finished, there is a certain sadness that the experience is complete, however, the beauty of a good book is that you can return to it time and again, entering its world.
This mesmerising little book is recommended to any lover of music, no matter what genre or classification. Carhart manages to harness music's universality, its common-shared magic that without, life would be much harder to tolerate. This book will enter, in time, the realm of classic. A pleasure.