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Scan 161
A dictionary of musical terms, 1907
44 lines. Read by computer on 9 September 2026. Printed page 151. See the scan on archive.org.
1chord, spinet, harpsichord, and clavichord, from that of the organ; the idea of a hammer-action (which constitutes the essential difference between the Pianoforte and its precursors) was, perhaps, derived from the dulcimer in its perfected form the Pantalon. The hammer-action was first practically developed by Bartolommeo Cristofori of Padua in 1711, whose action is the same, in essentials, as that now manufactured by Broadwood (English action).
3Pian'ograph. A form of music-recorder.
5Piano-harp. See Klaviaturharfe.
7Piano-organ. Same as Handle-piano.
9Piano-violin. (Ger. Bo'genflügel, Gei'-genwerk; Fr. piano à archet, piano-quatuor.) The English name covers the results of a long series of experiments, and of improvements of the hurdy-gurdy, the prototype of the class.—In the Geigenwerk inv. by Heiden of Nuremberg (about 1600) the keys, when touched, pressed their corresponding wire strings against small rosined wheels made to revolve by a treadle; the tone was similar to that of a bow-instr.—The Gambenwerk was made by Risch of Ilmenau (about 1750), and improved by the substitution of gut strings for wires.—Hohlfeld's Bogenflügel (1754) had gut strings, beneath which was a bow furnished with horsehair; on pressing the keys, the strings were drawn by little hooks against the bow, whose slow or rapid movement was controlled by a pedal-stop.—C. A. von Meyer, of Knownow, provided a separate horsehair bow for each string (1794).—The clavecin harmonique of Hübner (Moscow, about 1800) accurately reproduced the sound of a string-quartet.—Pouleau's orchestrine was a further improvement of the clavecin harmonique.—H. C. Baudin of Paris invented an instr. called the piano-quatuor, patented in England in 1865 under the name of piano-violin. It has for each tone one wire string, at or near a nodal point of which is attached a piece of stiff catgut projecting about an inch. Above these gut ties, a rosined roller is caused to revolve rapidly by a treadle; on touching the keys, these ties are carried up against the roller, the tones thus produced having the timbre of tones from gut strings. The instr. is capable of rapid execution and articulation.
11Piat'ti (It., pl.) Cymbals.
13Pi'broch. A set of variations for the bagpipe on a theme called the urlar, generally 3 or 4 in number, and increasing in difficulty and speed up to the closing quick movement (the crean-luidh). This is the highest and most difficult form of bagpipe-music.
15Piccanteri'a, con (It.) With piquant, sprightly expression.
17Picchetta'to, Picchietta'to (It.) Detached. See Pique.
19Picco pipe. A small pipe with a flageolet-mouthpiece, and 3 ventages, 2 above and 1 below; named after the Italian peasant Picco, whose extraordinary virtuosity on his instr. introduced it to the general public (London, 1856), and who obtained from it a compass of 3 octaves.
21Pic'colo. (It. fla'uto pic'colo; Fr. petite flûte; Ger. Oktav'flöte, Pick'elflöte.) The octave-flute. See Flute.
23Pic'colo (It.) Small…Used as a noun, equiv. to (1) Flauto piccolo, and (2) Piano piccolo, a small style of upright pfte.
25Pick (verb). To pluck or twang (as the strings of a guitar, mandolin, etc.); (noun), a plectrum.
27Piece. 1. A composition.—2. An instrument, taken as a member of an orchestra or band (usually in pl.)
29Pièce (Fr.) A piece (ordinarily of instrumental music)…Suite de pièces, a set of pieces.
31Pie'no (It.) 1. Full.—2. Mixture-stop.
33Pieto'so (It., "pitiful, moving".) Calls for a sympathetic and expressive delivery; nearly same as espressivo.
35Piffera'ro (It.) A player on the piffero.
37Pif'fero (It., dimin. pifferi'no.) 1. A fife; also, the name of a primitive kind of oboe or shawm.—2. An organ-stop (see Bifara).
39Pikie'ren (Ger.) Same as piquer. See Pique.
41Pincé (Fr., "pinched".) 1. Plucked or twanged, as the strings of the harp, zither, etc.—2. Pizzicato (in violin-playing).—3 (noun). A mordent; sign ' or …Pincé etouffé, acciaccatura; pincé renversé, inverted mordent.
43Pipe. 1. A primitive wind-instr., a rude flageolet or oboe.—2. An organ-pipe. (Ger. Or'gelpfeife; Fr. tuyau d'orgue;
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