Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-08-15
From the New York Herald.
The New PianofOrte of the wallace
CGmnanv

Perfection Is quality which has never been
Claimed Tor the piaBoforte. The most successfuI
efforts OF the most skillfu makers have still left
something to be done to bring the instrument to
Ine hlsneSt p0iat which some daring minds beliey-
ed That 1t could reach. Next to the organs of the
human voice, the violin, we believe has been es-
teemed the most perfect musical instrument. To
asslmlate the pianoorte as much as possible to the
EOlin In construction is then evidently something
worthy OF the utmost efforts of scientific labor to
accomplish. This desiderstum seems now TO have
been achieved by the inventor Of the new piano
patented and just offered for sale by the Wallace
Pianoorte Company. Mr.. w. Vincent Wallace,
the eminent composer and artist is the president OF
the company, and the appearance of his name on
each instrEmen is safe guarantee that the InVen-
ton has some claims the good opinion Of the
musical public. A few evenings ago Mr. Thalberg
examined and played on the instruments now rea-
dy at the compaDy's room, 467 Broome street, and
are Informed, pronounced an unqualified Opin-
ion that the principles of their construction were
admirable, ensuring grand noble tone, and that
he never heard their volume and power excelled
in depth, purity and sympathetic sweetness-
Equally fattering opinions, we learn, were freely
expressed by Gottschalk, Strakosch Mason, Maret-
eek and other well known artists
The difference between the construction of the
Wallace instrument, invented by Mr.. Spencer B.
briggs, and the old system is very simple, though
most important and complete. Pianos, as original
1y constructed, 1t is known were encased In frame
Of great thickness which was deemed necessary to
bear the strain OF the strings. In the new instru-
ment the case is not more than half inch thick,
adding considerably to facilities for transportation
as well as the sonorous tone of the instrument. In
side the case is iron frame above and below
boted together, sustaining the whole strain of the
strings, and leaving no strain whatever the wood
en- case In fact the instrumental part of the pia-
no is entirely Independent of the case, and is of
course not subject to the variations from weather.
unseasoned wood, and other causes of the old in
a in NM
longer. But the most original feature after all in
Mr.. DFggs invention is the construction of the
sounding boards, of which there are two. The up
per is constructed altogether differently from the
OLD method, which lie to glue the sounding board to
the case, and make il stiff and resonant by means
OF traverse ribs In the new plan the sounding
board is not glued to the case but is fixed tightly
into thin iron frame purposely made small for
1t. 1t thus receives arched convex form,
like the upper part of violin. By a most ingeni-
Gus contrVance the bottom of the piano is convert.
ed into a second sounding board by dispensing al
together with the heavy plauking which forms the
bottom in the old instrument, and substituting
thin layer or veneer of wood like the upper
sounding board, pressed like it into an iron frame
when it assumes a concave shape. The effect of
this will be at once perceived. The piano becomes
huge violin, sensitive to vibration, as sonorous
and capable OF producing the delicate sympathet-
ic sweetness of that instrument. The sounding
boards are connected by three sound posts, by
which the vibrations of one are communicated s-
multaneousy to the other, producing an effect that
it is impossible to describe.
Having said this much of the principles on which
the Wallace piano forte is constructed and its va
ration from all other pianos let US say something
of the effects it is capable of producing. Our re-
porter having been favored with minute descrip-
ton by the inventor and Mr.. Wallace and being
permitted to hear Mr.. Harry SandersOn, the dis
tingushed young pianist, perform on one of the
square pianos, is enabled to do so. The most
striking advantages which seem to be gained by
the new method are a greater richness and purity
OF tone, and an immense increase of power 1t is
hardly exceled in the latter quality by a full or
chestraG or military band, while the clearness and
precision OF the treble notes are wonderful. The
interior OF the instrument beng unncumbered with
a single block, Except the rest plank, many of
which are necessary in the old method, there is
nothing TO interfere with the vibration or take from
the richness OF the tone. Altogether the effect pro-
duced is superb, exceeding any thing before Sc
cured by the piano forte.
At present the company have not completed any
but square pianos. In about ten days. however, a
number Of grands, in process Of manufacture,
will be completed. What the effect of the grand
piano, constructed on this plan, will be- is something
that it is almost impossible to predict One Of
those now in hand, we learn, has been specially
ordered by Gottschalk, who pronounces the patent.
cd improvements u wonderful triumph. Mr.. Wal
lace informs US that the price of the new instru
ments will not exceed that Of the ordinary piano.