Scan 182
Dictionary of Music (Pronouncing and Defining), 1896
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1struments generally make a fair imitation of the qualities of the best, and the makers have shown great progressiveness in finding ways of doing this within the limitation of expense. The best pianoforte depends for its success, after the maker has secured a good scale, and the requisite solidity, upon the sounding-board and its treatment, and upon the hammers. These two elements are matters of individual adjustment by highly skilled labor, of artistic instinct, and even then the final result is somewhat uncertain, exactly as in making violins, or any other apparatus in which results are obtained by a skilled adjustment of parts cooperating with individualities of material. This being the case, it is not likely that the gap between the pleasing pianofortes of commercial grade, and the exceptional tonal qualities of the very best, can ever be very much narrowed.
3The pianoforte owes its popularity to its success in representing all properties of music. Melody, harmony, expression, and some degree of singing quality and tone-color are placed by it at the disposal of the player, and upon it he is able to give an intelligible account of by far a larger variety of music, both high and low, than upon any other musical instrument.
5Down to about 1872 the square pianoforte was the form mainly current in America. The first American grand pianoforte was made by Jonas Chickering in 1828. About 1870 improvements in the upright resulted in perfecting this form, whereby, combined with solidity, the tonal capacity very nearly approached that of the grand, and this form therefore came more and more to the head, so that at the present time there are no square pianos made, except to special order. The advantage which the grand piano possesses over the upright is in having a larger sounding-board, greater solidity, and consequently a larger and more sympathetic tone. The action also has one additional lever between the finger and the hammer, whereby the touch is magnified and a smaller effort of the player effects a perceptible modification of the tone. The manufacture and sale of grand pianofortes has enormously increased in recent years.
7Pian-pianissimo (pē-än'pē-ä-nē'sī-mō), It. Exceedingly soft and gentle.
9Pian-piano (pē-än-pē-ä'nō), It. Very softly, with a low voice. See Piano-piano.
11Pianoforte action. The mechanism of a pianoforte.
13Pianoforte hammer. That part of the mechanism of a pianoforte which strikes the wires.
15Pianoforte score. The score, or music, of an orchestral or choral work, arranged condensed upon two staves convenient for performance upon the pianoforte. The pianoforte arrangement of an orchestral work contains as much of the music as the arranger believes practicable for the player. The pianoforte score of a choral work includes the vocal parts upon their own staves and the orchestral parts condensed upon two staves, as in the arrangements from orchestral works. Hence, for purposes of study, except where it is a question of tone-color and the art of instrumentation, the pianoforte score offers all necessary advantages.
17Piano mezzo (pē-ä'nō mē'tzō), It. Moderately soft.
19Piano-piano (pē-ä'nō-pē-ä'nō), It. Very soft.
21Piano sempre staccato e marcato il basso (pē-ä'nō sēm-prē stāk-kā'tō mār-kā'tō ēl bā'sō), It. Soft, with the bass always well marked and detached.
23Piano solo. For the pianoforte only.
25Piano-violino (pē-ä'nō vē-ō-lē'nō), It. A curious instrument, invented in 1837. It was a common piano, containing a violin arrangement inside of it, which was set in motion by a pedal. When this instrument was played upon it gave the sound of both violin and piano.
27Piatti (pē-ät'tē), It. pl. Cymbals.
29Pib (pēb), Wel. A pipe, a fife.
31Pibcorn, or, hornpipe. The name given by the Welsh to a wind instrument consisting of a wooden pipe with holes at the sides and a horn at each end, the one to collect the wind blown into it by the mouth, and the other to carry off the sounds as modulated by the performer.
33Pibroch (pē'brōh). A wild, irregular species of music, peculiar to the Highlands of Scotland, performed on the bagpipe.
35Picchiettato (pē-kĭ-êt-tā'tō), It. Scattered, detached; in violin-playing a staccato made by means of the bow bounding upon the strings; hence not nearly so short as the staccato made by plucking the strings (pizzicato). The picchiettato implies a duration about equal to three quarters of the apparent duration of the note. Picchiettato is indicated by means of a straight mark over the note and a dot under the mark, or a slur over several notes and a dot over each one. The corresponding effect upon the pianoforte might be produced by playing several tones with one finger.
37Picciolo (pē-tshĭ-ō'lō),
38Piccolino (pē-kō-lē'nō), It. { Small, little.
39Piccolo (pē'kō-lō),
41Piccolo. A 2-feet organ-stop, of wood pipes, producing a bright and clear tone, in unison with the fifteenth.
43Piccolo flute. A small flute.
45Piccolo pianoforte. A small upright pianoforte.
47Pièce (pĭ-ä's'), Fr. A composition or piece of music; an opera or drama.
49Pieds (pĭ-ā'), Fr. pl. The foot; avec les pieds, with the feet, in organ-playing.
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