Scan 248
Catalogue of the stearns collection of musical instruments 2nd edition, 1921
16 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 212. See the scan on archive.org.
1through the invention of over-stringing by Boehm, in 1835, and double over-stringing by Steinway & Sons, in 1859. The compass of the instrument was gradually extended until it has now reached 7 1/3 octaves.
3The evolution of the second and most important factor dates from 1709, when Bartolomeo Cristofori (1653-1731) invented the form of action containing the fundamental principles of our modern mechanism. This has been contested in certain quarters, but in vain, for his priority rests on incontrovertible evidence.
5In this, the earliest form of action, through an ingenious and delicately poised system of levers and hoppers, the blow on the keys is transmitted to a hammer which strikes the string and falls back. By a device called the "escapement" the hammer immediately resumes its position in readiness for another impact. Dampers of felt fall on the strings and silence the tone. This latter mechanism is now controlled by a foot pedal. Another pedal shifts the key-board (in the "grand"), allowing the hammers to strike but one string.*
7The introduction of the prolongation pedal (Fr. pedale de prolongement) by Debain of Paris (1860) and Montal in 1862 was of great artistic import. It was simplified and greatly improved by Steinway of New York in 1874.18 Many attempts to correct an obvious defect in the pianoforte—the difficulty of sustaining tone—have been made. Possibly, the most interesting is the "Steinertone," in which the inventor, Morris Steinert, sought to apply the principle of the clavichord action. This attempt was not so radical a departure from key-board traditions as the very ingenious and effective mechanism introduced by Paul von Janko in 1882. Six short rows of stubby keys are arranged in tiers and run in pairs. Each row gives a succession of major seconds, and, in combination, the chromatic scale. Chordal successions quite impossible for ordinary hands are made easy—and scales in double thirds lose their terror. Like the radiating key-board, this action has not been adopted to any extent, although the new technique is taught in several European conservatories of music.
91338. SQUARE PIANO. Circa 1790 ………………… England
10Oblong case of mahogany, resting on a detached stand. Marquetry decorations. Bi-cord stringing throughout. The stop action, controlling the dampers is missing. Compass of five octaves from E.
11Length, 152 cm.; width, 52.7 cm.; depth, 17.2 cm.; height, 66 cm.
12Signed—"Longman and Broderip, Musical Instrument makers, No. 20 Cheapside and 13 Haymarket, London."
14* Sachs—quoting from Le Gay, Note in Quar. Int. Mus. Soc., XII, p. 589—shows that leather-covered hammers were used in France in 1760, eight years before the date of Pascal Taskin's invention. See "Pascal Taskin (1723-1793)," a monograph by Ernest Closson, Quar. Int. Mus. Soc., XII, p. 234, sqq.
1518 Weitzmann, "A History of Pianoforte-playing," p. 279.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.