For more than two centuries, the piano has been the world's most popular musical instrument. Throughout its history, it has served many different masters and found a niche in various social milieus. This work covers every aspect of the instrument's colourful and multi-faceted career, from sonatas to rhapsodies, from tin pan alley to the concert hall, and from Scarlatti to Gerswhin. Every style of music associated with the instrument and the performers and composers who shaped its history are included in this text.