…I give you A Grand Obsession by Perri Knize. Knize is an award-winning reporter, normally focused on environmental policy. Here, she turns that analytical, reseach-focused, chase-the-story-down mentality to her quest to find her one, true piano.
Knize’s father was a professional musician and she studied but gave it up in her teens. When the book opens, she is in her early 40’s and is hit by the need to play again. Like any over-achieving, Type A obsessive, she throws herself into it bodily - first into playing and deepening her technical understanding. Then, when she is ready, she decides to find a piano of her own - and that’s when our heroine’s journey begins.
It turns out that Ms. Knize has a particularly attuned ear - and after a couple years search, finds her One True Love. But then - it happens: when the piano arrives to her home in cold Montana, it sounds completely diffferent. What follows is the body of the book - her search to get the sound of her piano back. This involves a Geek’s Odyssey of learning the Piano Truths - what goes into the mechanics of sound creation, how a pianist should develop a relationship with their piano, etc.
Bottom line is that if you are interested in learning about how the inner world of a pianist and their quest for a great piano, this is a rich place to start. Unlike a book I reviewed a couple of months ago (Steinway by Barron) where the pianist’s view is backseat to the actual making of the piano, here it is the author’s pianist’s view which is primary - but quickly delves into most of the manufacturing in her quest for tone.
There are a couple of nits. Since this book is structured like a Hero’s Quest, there is a bit too much of “trust your feelings Luke” going on - Knize is constantly worrying whether her “special hearing” could be true and she hangs on every word of experts who tell her it is. As a musician, I can understand how validating it is when you feel like some aspect of your musicianship is objectively supported, but as a reader, it got a bit old.
Also, even though the author is a VERY accomplished person who clearly commands respect in her line of work, the book sometimes feels a bit too Chick-Lit-ty - not in writing style; more in relation to her relationship to her father and her bursting into tears at key points when she has breakthroughs in her playing or understanding of her piano.
I found it a fast, enjoyable read. As someone who doesn’t know which end of a piano to play, I found it very easy to understand - but I am sure my musician background helps. In fact, when she does learn what is at the core of the tone she strives for in her One True Piano, I had both a “wow, I can relate to that type of quest” feeling, AND a “really, it was that?! Geez, that’s a pretty straightforward thing to check on guitar” feeling as well, which non-muso’s wouldn’t have to worry about.
Overall a good read…