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.

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pianism British  

/ ˈpiːəˌnɪzəm /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• pianistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of pianism

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

Example Sentences

The weight of shoring up the point of the play thus falls heavily on Levant’s pianism — and Hayes’s.

From New York Times • Apr. 24, 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

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

Although gifted with prodigious technique, Chopin stood outside the “flying trapeze school” of pianism.

From New York Times • Nov. 19, 2018

MacDowell's French training showed in his "pianism" in the velocity, clarity, and pearly quality of his scales and trills.

From Unicorns by Huneker, James