The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-02-06
VOCAL AND IN
ST'RUMENTAL.
Continued from Jan. %,

The inventive genius of the American
people is ever active, never resting. II
embraces in its grasp the merest trifes
and the mightiest conceptions, from a
toy to point a lead pencil 10 a lever 10
raise q pyramid That whatever has
been done can be improved ON, and
whatever is needed for the good of the
human family can be produced, are
American dogmas. They are so purely
indigenous to the soil that all who seek
asylum here find new springs Of action,
new incentives to ambition, and broad
ening of the mind which has been dwarf
ed by the cramping influence of small
nationalities. Inventive genius has not
merely been directed to the physical
needs of the people the necessities of
our life have had their champions, and
the intellectual luxuries, which are at
once its solace and its ornaments, have
been fostered and developed to degree
that shames the experience of the Old
World. In the short space of forty years
we have become the manufacturers of
our own musical instruments. In this
we ask nothing of Europe now we
have learned all she knows, we may say,
and something more besides, and we
have changed the course of trade, which
was always from East to West, to from
West to East. There is scarcely
musical instrument which we do not
make and, with scarcely an exception,
our manufacture equals, and in some
cases surpasses, the workmanship of
European models. I must, however, in
this case, give a separate historical
sketch Of, the piano-forte, the most popu-
lar instrument, at this writing, that can
be mentioned. The piano-forte was, of
course, invented somewhere, although
it was more properly graduaiimproYe
ment from one thing to another than an
invention in its present fOrn. There
are two claimants for the honor ofcreat-
ing the original instrument, and both
have strong supporters. By one party |
it is attributed to Christofoli, Paduan |
by the other to Schroeder, of Dresden, |
Saxony. We need not stop to discuss
the rival claims. The date ofthe inven-
ton is said to be A. d. I'LL, but tho
piano really rose but little above the
dignity of harpsichord until half
century .,ater. But European makers
did not exhaust its powers. There was
left for Americans to do
some art gift from us to the Old World,
10 be purchased by deep thought and
aborious experiments, or won by the in
spiration of fortunate moment. The
of the piano forte has been
revolutionized by American invention.
European manufacturers ofany celebrity
whatever have adopted our system, and
American piano-fortes stand preeminent-
y above those of France, England and
Germany, the three foremost countries
n Europe engaged in this industry. OIL,
he upright piano-forte, which has risen
into great favor and importance, and in
is Development, I may say its inven-
ion, belongs to this present nineteenth
century. The form has always recon-
mended the upright on the score of con-
Yenience but it was long before it oc-
cured to any one to make an upright
keyboard instrument reasonably. Up
light harpsichords were made nearly !
our hundred years ago very interest
ng seventeenth century one was sold
ately. according to unpublished report,
n the great Hamilton sale. The real
inventor of the upright piano in its
modern and useful form was that re-
narkable Englishman, John Isaac
Hawkins. While.li living at Bordentown,
New Jersey, q. S. A., Hawkins invented |
he Cottage piano-portable grand, so