pianism

American  

[pee-uh-niz-uhm, pee-an-iz-, pyan-] / ˈpi əˌnɪz əm, piˈæn ɪz-, ˈpyæn- /

noun

1. the artistry and technique of a pianist.

2. performance by a pianist.

   an evening of first-rate pianism.

---

pianism British  

/ ˈpiːəˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. technique, skill, or artistry in playing the piano

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pianistic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of pianism

First recorded in 1835–45; pian(o) ¹ + -ism

Example Sentences

As does the lyrical Romantic pianism of “Canto,” which brings to mind Chopin or Rachmaninoff — and which connects to a longer history of European art music tradition.

From New York Times • Mar. 2, 2023

He did still smuggle a tribute to Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” from that famous short, “The Cat Concerto,” into the quicksilver pianism of the album’s “Mary Poppins Fantasy.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2022

These aesthetic lights have filtered usefully into his own pianism, especially when it comes to playing works by American minimalists like John Adams.

From New York Times • Jun. 11, 2020

A cerebral and illuminating pianist, especially in contemporary repertoire, he’s not a player who dazzles you with pianism per se, instead reaching through the music to find expression and communication.

From Washington Post • Feb. 14, 2019

This rare combination of the virtuoso and the poet places Joseffy outside the pale of popular "pianism."

From Franz Liszt by Huneker, James