New-York tribune., 1901-04-07
The Old System of Pianoforte
Building as Compared
With the New.
The SteinertOne
Grand Piano.

With the invention of the Pianoforte in
1908 the large family of musical instru-
ments is completed. They are divided into
two distinct classes, those which need
mechanism for their tone incitation as IN
the organ and pianoforte, and those that
receive their tonal awakening by direct
application of the hands and lips OF the
player. Under the latter class belong wind
instruments and such as are played by
mouth, bow and plectrum. On account OF
their intimate treatment these instruments
are very susceptible to the emotional state
of the player, while the keyed instrument,
by reason of an intermediate mechanism
called an action, that reigns unbendingy
between the keyboard and resonant
string across most sensitive soundboard,
carries with it its mechanical influences.
CriStofori'S invention, in substituting
hammer mechanism that strikes the strings
of a harpSichord in place of the quill
which plucked them, accomplished two
different dynamicS, namely, soft and loud
strokes. This instrument he called Piano
forte. Ii represents distinct specie OF an
instrument of percussion, while IFS pred
ecessor, the Harpsichord, represented
plectra system, plucking the strings OF the
instrument. For many years after its
invention the Pianoforte was not con-
Sidered an acceptable instrument, and the
great masters of the early part or the
eighteenth century, such as the Bachs,
Handel and Scarlatt, hardly recognized it,
while Haydn, Mozart, and even Beethoven,
during his early life, preferred the older
instruments, especially the Clavichord.
With the advent of the romantic era of
Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schumann and
Liszt the construction of the Pianoforte
was greatly changed, and with the ap-
pearance and adoption of the Erard action
il was constitutionally strengthened. We
find the Pianoforte at the present moment
in this very state, and il is pronounced by
the foremost makers in this country as
having reached its highest state of perfec-
ton. Pianoforte building has been the
means of creating large industrial inter-
ests in this country, while through most
systematic way, the impression of It's
completeness has been heralded. Large
financial results have been gained, so that
some Pianoforte makers can quietly rest
upon their laurelS, enjoying the reputation
brought TO them by three generations.
The artists who are called into service
TO advertise the .ARTISTIC" PRODUC-
TIONS of the Piano builders and those
who have devoted their lives to the prose-
cution of art, when they appear in public
have TO pass the scathing rebukes of able
musical critics who openly declare in the
public press that the tone of the artists is
harsh, dry, cold, unsympathetic and of
colorleSS expression. How is this TO be
accounted for, if such great artists as
Paderewski, Rosenthal, D'Albert, Doh
nanyi, Sieveking, Miss Aus der Ohe and
Madame Carreno should not be capable
of producing pure, rich tone, such as
good violinists and singers are capable of ?
The Solubility lies in the mechanical
nature of the present Pianoforte, THAT
PART CALLED THE ACTION. Ii is the
old Erard action that is still in use by all
Grand Pianoforte makers, regardless of
high or low priced instruments. 1t is this
ancient, time-honored action that conSt-
tutes the Pianoforte a strictly mechanical
instrument, and this can be proven TO a
certainty by the use Of automatic inStru-
mentS when they are connected with the
Pianoforte, and when il is then said that
the greatest compositions can be performed
upon them as efficiently without hand
playing as with ii. This shows conclu-
sively that such an action is not SuScep-
tible enough to serve the musician for his
work, and cannot be much influenced BY
even the best playing.
Morris Steinert, who has investigated the
mechanical condition of the Pianoforte,
has invented new and scientific action
that represents the very functions that are
lacking in the ancient Erard action of
nearly a century'S standing an action
that endows the Grand Pianoforte with
those rare qualities that harmonic with
the unlimited tonal powers of well-con-
structed SOundingboard of Grand Piano.
The Steinert action, while capable of the
most powerful dynamics, is always
governed by the refined force that is full