Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-07-30
THE PLANO.


THE PIANO.
The July number Of the Atiantie con-
tains an article by Parton, entitled:
"Ths History Of the Piano in the United
States" which should DO read by every
person who perform, on this household
musical instrument. The following is
condensed from the Atlantic: Twenty
Eve thousand pianos were made in the
United States last year. There ore
sixty makers in New York, thirty in
Boston, twenty in Philadelphia, fifteen
in Baltimore, ten in Albany. Cost prices
range from $3.50 t $1,000 Currency;
prices to the public from $3.50 to ST.
500. In 1866, $4,000, Ooo were sx-
pended for pianos in the United States,
Canada buys a few; Mexico, Cuba and
South America, q few; and nov and
then one is sent to Europe. An inflated
currency, and a war tariff, render it
impossible to compete with European
makers in price, so they cannot be sold
in large numbers in any market but our
own. The trade in new pianos is moth
ing compared to the countless sransae-
tons in old ten secondhand pianos
are sold TO one new. An immense num-
Der are let. One firm in Boston, has
one thousand pianos let all the time.
In London, one Of Broadwood's grand
pianos cost about one-half as much as
the same style of instrument in the
United Statss; square planes about
hall, and uprights for less than half OF
cost in New York. In America, from
the changsablsness of the climate, re-
curing moro substantial build, upright'
cost more than square pianos.
. Paris pianos are renowned the world
over: thres-tenths Of all the pianos made
in Paris are exported. In 1852, 10000
pianos were made in that city. good
piano q bo bought in Paris for 500.
The prices for labor are-Paris, one
dollar per day; London, two dollars n
. half; New York, four dollars and
thirty-thrse cents. Erard, Hertz, and
Pleyel are the great Partisan makers.
In Germany there are no piano makers
on the scale Of the United States. A
business Of Eve pianos a week e1cites
astoaishmsnt in a German State. In
. Berlin and Vienna, German pianos are
not 50 highly valued A. those of Partisan
make.
The Russians make a very good piano.
They were the first makers to employ
the ovsrstrung device. Tho piano has
become the leading musical instrument
of the world: England makes 10000
per year, the United States $4,000, and
France $4,000. Broadwood & Co., Of
London, have made l2s, 900 pianos since
1880. Fifty years ago there were not
fifty pianos a year made in the United
States. A two-stringsd bow was per-
haps the first step toward the grand
piano: additional strings involved the
strengthening of tho bow. The cat-gut
strings Of the harps Of three thousand
years ago, are still capable Of giving
musical sound. The cythara Of the
middle ages was in the shape of a letter
P, with ten strings in the oval part, and
movable pegs to tune them. This was
the FIRST step toward the piano; but the
pssltery was q great stride forward.
This instrument was an arrangement Of
strings on q box; here is tho principle
Of the sounding board, one Of the most
important things in a piano. The reader
must not eonfound the pssltery Of the
middle ages with the psal'ery Of the
Hebrews, about which nothing is known.
About the year 1900, we have the dulci-
msr, an immense psaltery, with improve
msnts. Upon a harp-shapsd box, eigh-
teen or thirty-six feet long, fifty strings
were stretched, which tho player struck
with o hammer or a stick: this was a
piano without its machinery. Tho
clarieytherium, or keyed cythara, was
produced in the thirteenth century. The
invention of keys permitted the strings
TO DO covered over, so they were IN n
box, instead Of on a box. Tho box raj
oblong in shape, four feet in length, and
could be lifted by q girl Of fourteen.
The clsyichord and manichord were
only slight Improvements on the clavi-
cythsria. Mozart had nothing better to
try his compositions on than a wretched
box Of brass wires, twanged with pieces
Of quill. Queen E~lizabsth's instrument,
the virginia., was . box Of strings with
improved keys, mounted on four legs.
The Lutte was a largo pot-bellied guitar
with many strings: in 1915 it had ten or
twelve strings, aftsrward it had twenty
six strings. The virginals Of 1900 be-
came the spinet Of 100. The spinet
expanded into the harpsichord, the lead
ing instrument from 100 to 1900. A
harpsichord wal nothing but a very
large and powerful spinst. Handel con-
sidsrsd himself fortunate to be the pos
SCISSOR of such N instrument. Nezt, the
piano, invented at Florence in ITO, By
Bartholomew Cristotah. The essential
difference between the harpsichord and
piano is described by tho first name
given to q piano, which was hammer
h.rpsichord. The next name was forte
piano, which signifies soft with power
this name became piano forte. IL re-
quirsd a century to produce improve
nsats sufficient to give the piano equal
standing with the harpsichord. The
history Of the piano from ITO 10 1867
10 nothing but a history Of improved
mechanism Of the instrument. The
moment the idea was conceived Of strik-