The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-05-09
FIRST INTRODUCTION of the Piano.

Treating of this subject. Mg Julius
Wilcox writes as follows in H0rper'S
Hpvlzite for May:
The essential features Of the piano are
only three Tie percussion action, the iron
frame and the OverstTUng bass Many minor
Improvements. such as double and treble
stringing. have been added 10y which the
power and quality Of tone. as We'll a7 dura-
hIlitv, have been wonderfully increased; but
all these were dependent upon the first, and
when the hammer action was once devised,
the piano became an accomplished 1aCt.
Simple as that discovery seems, mankind
waited nearly =. 600 years for II, and the last
centuries Ofthis delay illustrates how strange
ly invention often works near and al around
q very simple Improvement without reach
ing it. The original piano was the dulclmeT,
which was played with the plectTa but as
the whole hand could WELD only one plec-
trum, the keyboard was devised to utilize
the fingers, and move the plectra faster.
Thus came the clayichord, with brass tan
gents striking the strings as already de
scribet then the yiginal, expanding into the
harp~ichOTd. which went away from the cor
rect idea. and used the crow quill to half
strike half rub the string then the harp
SichOrd-makcIE with what seems lneNpllc-
able blindness. went on improving the me
Chauism during more thaua century without
catching the idea Of the hammer. 1t is not
the steel string which made the piano, for
steel brass, and catgut, separately and to-
gether had already been used in the harp
SicuOTd
There have been three prominent claim
ants Of the honor Of inveutiug the hammer
% Freuchman, a German, and an Italian.
trIstufuh, the latter, is now generally ad-
mItteu to have been the inventor, Al IaUua,
tn I7IO. But if Italy invented the piano she
did nothing to develop it. Dr. BUTney, III
1IIO sixty years afterwaTd, testified that the
Keyboard Instruments OF Italy We're much
inferior To those of Northern Europe. Said
he: They have generally little octave
-pinets to accompany singing in private
houses, sometimes in a triangular form, but
more frequently in the shape of an old viz
giuaI. of which the keys are NOISY and the
tone so feeble that more wood is heard than
wire. ] found three English LarpSichords IN
the three principal cities of Italy, which are
regarded by the Italians - so many pheno-
mrua.
The name first given the new instrument
was the hammer-harp~ichord next, it, power
OF giving both a loud and soft note procured
it the name Of forte piano e.. lOud-SOft 4.
this next changed to pianU-foTte In 1862
Mozart played upon the piano. At the age Of
six and his letters in II1T record his great
delight in the pianos of Stein, maker Of
that day. In l.6T the piano seems to have
been introduced To the public in England.
for pIay-hill Of The BcgguTS' opera at the
tuvent Garden Iheater, MAY Ii, announced
that .-at the end Of Act l. Miss BrickIcr viii
sing q favJTlre song from Judith, accom-
panied by MI Dibbjn on new instrument
called the Ufauo-tOrte. The Use OF this
kind of instrument" " said Thalberg, led to
it, peculiar capabilities being thoroughly
studied and appreciated, aud the composers
repaid their obligation - tie instrument by
writing for It many of the finest productions
Of music, and 10y practiriug the execution Of
these productions TO such an extent as to be
able Co bring them before the public with tine
greatest possible eetTt.' Mozart. Haydn.
Handel and Beethoven wrote especially for
Ft.fTtrIE -sl