Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1884-07-23
PlANO.FORTe MUSIC.
Its History and Develepneat...Th The
Plane. f0rte's Predecessor.
~

Its History and Deveispnsat... The
Pisss.forte's Predecessors.
London Times
Mr.. Ernst Pauer, principal professor
OF the piano-forte OF the Royal College
of Music, on Thursday afternoon de.
liverel before q large audience at the
loyal institution, Albemarle street, the
first of a course OF six lectures on "The
History AMI Development of the Music
for the Piano-forte and its Prede.
cssors, the Clavecin. Harpsichord, ("
etc, with musical illustrations
on these instruments. He re.
marked on the great number of
excellent composers who have confided
some of their finest ideas to the kew
board, so that ut first sight it seemed
almost a hopeless task to evolve any.
thing like order from the extraordinary
mass of names. But on studying the
matter more closely O classification
evolves itself readily enough, especially
as the lecturers desir,, was to bring the
masters in music before the audience
not so much theoretically as practically,
j. c, by playing the pieces chosen for
illustration, rather than by oral de.
seription.
He then gave, as was indispensable,
the shortest possible sketch of tho
keyed instruments in use before the
piano-iorte. The clavictherium was in
troduced about the year 1900 by the
Italians: it was kind OF oblong lyre.
with catgut strings arranged in the
form OF an upright triangle. KEYS
were used to raise the harl leather
plectra which twanged the strings.
This wa, the only keyed instrument in
which catgut or violin strings were en-
ployed. All the later ones. beginning
with the clavichord. lad wire strings.
The clavichord, whose wires were set
in motion by pressure on the
keyboard. had but feeble tone
still, under an artistic hand it
yielded excellent music, being favor,
able to stacea.o passages, ami giyin.
great prominence to the melody. 1t
was the favorite instrument of Sebastian
zach. The virginia. had brass wires,
and the sound was produced by pece
of ravens or crows quill. The wiz
ginal Lad compass of only four
octaves, but its touch was extremely
sensitive. This instrument was Queen
Elizabeths favorit,, bat it was not
named, as was thought by some, in
honor of the virgin queen. TOR il was in
use Under her royal father and sister.
II was most likely styled the virginia.
IRON its common use by the nuns in
their hymns TO the Virgin.
The spinet, or instrrmento Iii penna
resembled in shape harp laid horizon.
tally. Clayecin and clavier were the
respective French and German names
o. the harpsichord. The Italians used
the clavicytherium and spinet, the
English the virginals and harpsichord,
the rench the spinett. and the Ger.
mans the clavichord and harpsichord.
The great characteristic of the piano.
forte was that by introducing the ham
mer to strike the wire heavier touch
produces o louder, q gentler touch o
softer tone, thereby giving the per.
former, as implied in the instrument
name. the power Of playing at will
piano or forte.
The character Of the music of the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
was especially religious. With hardly
an exception all composers were organ.
lists, the organ having already reached
q high degree Of mechanical perfection.
But the want of musical instruments
for the chamber, especially for the fair
sex, was more and more felt, and the
demand created the supply. There
was, however, great lack Of variety
and pleasant expression in the earliest
clavecin music.