Like no other instrument, a grand piano melds the magic of engineering with the magic of great music. Alone among the big piano companies, Steinway & Sons still builds all of its pianos largely by hand. Here is the story of one Steinway piano, from raw lumber to finished instrument. Barron follows that brand-new piano on its 11-month journey through the Steinway factory, where time-honored manufacturing methods vie with modern-day industrial efficiency. Barron also explores the decades of innovations and quirks that gave birth to the concert grand piano¿s design, as well as the tough global competition and changing music scene that have squeezed the piano industry. Illustrations.