New-York tribune., 1900-05-27
EVOLUTION OF THE PIANO.
TINY sTRINGED INSTRUMENT USED
ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND YEARS AGO.

1t is claimed that science has done less for mu-
scal instruments in the last century than for any
other branch of inventive industry.
The most complete of all musical instruments is
the piano, and the given by great
Rubinstein for preferring the piano to any other
instrument was because it is a musical entity:
all other instruments, including the human voice.
are fragmentary to certain extent"
The nucleus of the pianoforte was little box
over which were stretched strings-in fact one
string only was used by the Egyptians three thou
sand years before Christ, and the notes regu-
lated by movable bridge. Then came the mono
chord used by the Greeks and attributed Pythag-
cras IN the sixth century, b. c., and up to 1000.
A. D., the monochord was used in all churches to
teach choir singers the Eight tones"
From this crude instrument developed the
citole, the dulcmer and the psaltery Besides these
were the harpsichold the clavitherium the clavi-
chord. the virginia. and the spinet All these were
stringed instruments. The clavitherium had KEYS;
the cavfchord had dampers, and points of quill or
hard leather which rose and 'plucked the strings.
Venetian named spinetti is said to have invent
ed the spinet in the sixteenth century, which fol-
lowed the virginia.. which Queen Elizabeth
played. The harpsichord had rows of keys
for which Bach and Handel composed in the sew
enteenth century. There is interesting colIec-
ton of harpsichords in the South Kensington Mn
scum one of which is dated 1866
The dulcimer, whose strings were not like the
foregoing "pucked." but struck by leather headed
hammers held in the hands, closely resembles the
CyhiOdl WHICH is uSeu IN hungarian orcheStraS
the present time. From the dulcimer it was a.
short step to the piano, and its invention is at
trlbuted TO b. Crstofori, Cristofale of Florence
italy; j. G Schroter. a German. Marius a
frenchman, early in the eighteenth century The
strings were struck by small fat hammers and
they were mounted in oblong box in shane
similar to the old fashioned square piano with the
colors of the keys reversed-black for the natural
and white for the sharps. Schr6ter. the German
about this time invented similar instrument. and
is said to have presented model of his invention
the Court of saxqny in III His ideas were again
lmproTed upon by G. SHERMAN who achieved
piano, or 'fortepano, as it then called. John
Sebastian Bach played upon of these instru-
mentS.
Pianofortes made in London by NJ Zumpie
German. in 1865, and have been steadily improved
upon since that time.
"zart played upon pianos made by Johann Stein
and anton Walter and Nine Streicker who was
STEMS daughter. made the pianos upon which
Beethoven played of which is preserved in
Windsor Castle.
The first pianos known in America were imported
:, from London in 1884 by John Jacob Astor but as
they could not stand the Tgors of this climate they
| soon became ruined This fact led to the attempt
! to build pianos in this country and in the early
| part of the present century uprights made their
| appearance.
a stone pianoforte." formed of series of hints
| and other stones of various sizes collected in
| France and arranged by NJ. Baudre, played on
by him at the Royal Institution on March 16. 1866