Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-11-23
FOR THE

THE piano-forte, which has had almost
exclusive favor as drawingroom instrument is
finding rival in the Cabinet Organ recently il fro
duced, and which Is receiving much favor in musical
circles.
An instrument which should be capable in a good
degree, of producing the admirable effects of the
large pipe-organ, of adding to them in important
respects and yet which should not exceed the
possibilities of private houses to space expense
etc, has long been the desderatum with musical
connoisseurs, and its production object of the
ambition OF manufacturers. We have become so &C.
customed to the piano forte as the sole Interpreter
of all classes of Instrumental music in our homes,
and 1t is so admirable in its office in many respects
that it is not realized that in large classes of music
IL aDors under great disadvantage from its inability
to produce sustained tones Yet for the ipterpreta-
ton OF many compositions, these actually essen.
tai. From the instant piano key is struck the
tone rapidly decreases until it Is lost entirely In
no way can it be long continued made to increase
instead of diminishing and the repetition of tones
to which the performer is compelled to resort In
place OF their proongaton, is after ALL unsatsfcto-
ry in its results The popularity of the tones of
the piano forte is undoubtedly excellent as single
effect, conducting to the gracefuness and spirit of its
utterances and its capacity of expression but 1t is
by no means the only desirable effect and the i'm
possibility of escaping produces certain sameness
and monotony, and greatly crcumscribes the capa-
bilities of the instrument.
The various orchestral and band Instruments and
the human voice, especially, avoid this sameness of
the piano forte, and capable of sustained tones
with greater variety in c7eScendo and diHain,end0
effects; but not one of Them singly, can produce
harmony as well as melody. Here then, they far
behind the piano in usefulness. Where number of
them can be used together, n orchestra choir or
even qnartette OF voices or instruments harmony
we'll as melody, Is possible with every variety of
musical effect Hence it is for such combinations
that most of the best musical compositions have
been written, and they cannot be adequately rem
dered by any instrument not capable of sustained
tones. But those of us who are less than princes
cannot keep at our private command bands of mu-
sicians to minister to our musical pleasure at WILL
and thus the need of some one instrument which
shall combine the capabilities of many-which shall
add to the capacity of the piano that of the organ
and, under the hands of single performer better
render most valuable music than the piano can
possibly do, on account of the pecuilarities
toned.
Pipe-organs out of question, from the large
space they must necessarily occupy, in order to
tain reasonable compass and variety, well from
their great COST In pipe organ, If it be properly
balanced and we'll furnished in its lower as we'll as
upper tones, pipe sixteen feet long and several
inches in diameter is requisite to produce the single
| lowest tone. From this size, the pipes gradually
| decrease in size as the tones to be produced are
higher; but, as in a single full stop there must be
sixtyone pipes, and reasonably satisfactory pipe
organ must contain several stops it is obvious that
| large amount of space must be occupied by such
instrument-not TO mention the expense involved in
its construction For houses therefore, to
space and expense, it has been customary and even
necessary to omit the heavier stops requiring these
large pipes; and SO dsproporoned, Unbalanced in
struments have been the result, without after ALL
attaining sufficient compactness and economy TO
render them generally available.
This insuperable difficulty, with some minor ones,
has prevented the pipe-organs from becoming popu-
| lar as parlor Instruments.
For u long time it has appeared probable to those
who cognzant of such matters, that if the de-
sired instrument, which should be miniature of tho
great pipeorgan an epitome of the orchestra,
were produced, it must be by the improvement
of some form of instrument IN which tbe tones
produced by reeds. These occupy little space, are
readily controlled, and do not involve very great
expense. Hence much time and ingenuity have been
given to experiments in this direction The chief
difficulty to be overcome was not trifling being moth
| ing less than poor, unattractve quality of tone.
| The term Greedy tones" had become almost pro-
verbal expression of condemnation. And then there
were other shortcomings scarcely less important.
1t is not purpose to attempt any illusion even
to the immediate experiments which have been made
in the of many years to this radical
defect, well as the other deficiencies in reed in
| struments. Their success has been various and not
always encouraging, though progress was made from
time to time, the result of which the public had in
| the shape of melodeons harmonious, and reed or
gans of various names. It'll only withD.a few years.
however, that reed instruments have attained such
degree of excellence as to merit or receive much
attention from musical connoisseurs. But within
the past few such material progress has been
made by the well-known manufacturers Messrs.
Mason & Eamlin, of Boston, to place the instru-
ments made by them on higher level, and to decide
the question that the piano forte is no longer to hold
the only prominent pace as household instrument.
These manufacturers have worked out the secret OF
producing tones of the best quaty-tonos Of sur
passing purity and richness from reeds and have
otherwise Brought the instruments, for which they
have adopted the appropriate name "Cabinet Or
gans to such degree Of excellence, that they are
exciting much interest in musical circles, and are
already becoming the fashion with those who are on
the alert for musical novelties of real merit. With
out doubt in these Cabinet Organs, we have the long
sought instrument of sustained tones which Is here
after to divide with the piano forte the musical hon
ors of the drawing-room.
The attractions of those Instruments their
really beautiful tones, which capable of being
sustained indefinitely, and which have considerable
variety in character, while the performer has their
| degree of loudness always easily at command so
| that he can, at will, produce what technically
called organ-t0nes crescedos diinue'does etc. ore
them are met the principal requirements Of the long
| needed instrument possessing the capacity which
the piano lacks Almost all sacred music, well as
the majority of the transcripions from the operas
and various orchestral compositions find better
interpretations in the Cabinet Organ than they have
before had from any instrument As compared with
large pipe-organs, these new instruments are, of
course lacking in power and grandeur On the 9TH
err hand they have much more vyacity Of utterance
and need not shrink from comparison as quality Of
| tones.
The size of the Cabinet Organs averages not half
that of the piano FORTE while the shape affords OPP
portunity for elegant designs in exterior finish, Of
which its makers have awaited themselves with much
good taste.