# The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori & the Invention of the Piano - Hardcover

by **Elizabeth Rusch** (Author), **Marjorie Priceman** (Illustrator)

**Award-winning biographer Elizabeth Rusch and two-time Caldecott Honor-recipient Marjorie Priceman team up to tell the inspiring story of the invention of the world's most popular instrument: the piano.**

Bartolomeo Cristofori coaxes just the right sounds from the musical instruments he makes. Some of his keyboards can play _piano_, light and soft; others make _forte_ notes ring out, strong and loud, but Cristofori longs to create an instrument that can be played both soft and loud.

His talent has caught the attention of Prince Ferdinando de Medici, who wants his court to become the musical center of Italy. The prince brings Cristofori to the noisy city of Florence, where the goldsmiths' tiny hammers whisper _tink, tink_ and the blacksmiths' big sledgehammers shout _BANG, BANG!_ Could hammers be the key to the new instrument?

At last Cristofori gets his creation just right. It is called the pianoforte, for what it can do. All around the world, people young and old can play the most intricate music of their lives, thanks to Bartolomeo Cristofori's marvelous creation: the piano.

### Author Biography

Elizabeth Rusch is an award-winning children's book author and magazine writer. Her books include _The Mighty Mars Rovers_, _For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart_, and _Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World_. She teaches nonfiction and children's literature at the Attic Institute in Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at ElizabethRusch.com.

Marjorie Priceman, illustrator of many acclaimed picture books, has won Caldecott Honors for her illustrations in _Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin!_ by Lloyd Moss and _Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the Frist Hot-Air Balloon Ride_, which she also wrote. She lives in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

**Number of Pages:** 48

**Dimensions:** 0.4 x 12.1 x 9.3 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** April 18, 2017

**Accelerated Reader:**

**Quiz Name:** Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori & the Invention of the Piano

**Interest Level:** Lower Grades, K-3

**Reading Level:** 5.9

**Point Value:** 0.5

## Details

- **Price:** 19.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 19.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori & the Invention of the Piano - Hardcover

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