Uma história social do piano : emergência e declínio do piano na vida quotidiana madeirense (1821-1930)

Between 1820 and 1930, the piano was a constant presence in daily life in Madeira. In the first quarter of the 19th century, a musical culture centred on the piano began to take shape in Funchal, characterised by: private soirées and public concerts, where musical performances featuring the piano were the main source of entertainment; a rigorous music education system, in which women gradually gained prominence; a repertoire focused on music for voice and piano, dances, and pieces of a brilliant or virtuosic nature; and a piano import trade, initially from England and, later, predominantly from Germany. From the 1930s onwards, amateur piano playing began to decline, due to strong competition from new technologies such as gramophones, radio, and cinema.