Throughout its history, the piano has occupied a somewhat contradictory role as both a complex machine and an expressive musical instrument. Initially developed in response to a musical desire for greater expressive potential in keyboard instruments, the piano has at other times been derided as a merely mechanical vehicle for unmusical displays of virtuosity. This course examines the complicated history of the piano from its invention around 1700 through the later-20th century. We will explore the technological evolution of the instrument itself alongside its changing social roles, and seek to understand how these factors influenced the development of piano techniques and repertoire at various points in history. Considering specific works for the piano, individual pianists of the past, and broader cultures of pianism, we will engage with core questions of gender and musicality, virtuosity and musical expression, amateurism and professionalism, and musical composition. This course is suitable for both students who have a musical background and those who do not.