The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-28
TODAY IN HISTORY
Birthday OF the Piano,
SATURDAY. MAY 2s, 1910,


The piano, as we understand it today
Is close 10 $50 years old, The early his
tory OF the instrument Is Ehrouded some
WIN being It's Inventor, and the date Is
set down as 11l0. Nowhere s TO be
found a description Of this instrument
other than mention OF IL and that IL was
worked by striking the strings. The
instrument was developed out OF the
clayichord and harpsichord.
The first use OF a plano In public was
at Covent Garden. London on MAY 2S
1851 and from this on the history Of
the piano can easily he followed. Pre-
yions 10 that time experiments were be-
ing conducted in various parts of Eu-
rope. notably In Germany H. was
Johannes Zumpe. a German, who made
the instrument that was used IN Co
vent Garden. He had carried the IN
dustry from Germany TO London. where
he set up workshop.
Until 1771, no special attention had
been paid to the planoforte hy composers.
During this year. however. MutheI. OF
Riga. composed a duet for two harpsl
chords or two fortepianoF as the piano
forte was at first interchangeably called.
Three sonatas by Muzio Clement. which
were published In 1913 in London, are
considered as the first strictly piano
forte music.
AT the first use of the piano in public
at Covent Garden, mentioned above the
play bill Of The Beggar's opera" be-
ing presented at that theater. announced
Between the first and second acts Miss
Brickler will sling a popular song from
Judith accompanied upon new lnstru-
ment called the fortepiano by Mr.. Dib-
din The first piano solo played in pub
London. on June 2. 1858 by John Chris
tian Bach
One of the men who more than any
Other assisted in the development OF the
man. He first adapted pedals TO the
instrument in 1888. The first metal to
he employed in the construction OF the
pianoforte was used about l7Sb. in steel
arches. and In sos Broadwood first ap-
piled iron tension bars situated above
the strings. an arrangement which e&-
lists even now.
In $500 the upright piano was patented
by John Isaac Hawkins. Of Bordertown,
n. j. Sebastian Erard. whose action in
the harp has remained unchanged for
double escapement action, which he
finally improved in 1921. when his
nephew, Pierre Erard. procured a patent
for it
About 1920 there occurred a great rcvo-
luton In pianoforte construction. Com
poSerS had taken 10 the instrument With
enthusiasm. They desired more bril-
li1ncy and more force, and the action
OF the piano was constantly undergoing a
change. II had assumed a comparative
perfection. but the framing was still In a
crude state. The, compensatlng frame of
Allen was gradually improved until
Alpheus Babcocl Of Boston. in 1925. pat
ented a square pianoforte having an en-
tire frame OF cast iron. Rabcock's ideas
assumed a more practical form in the
hands OF Conrad Meyer Of Philadelphia,
In 1888. Jonas Chlckerine OF Boston ap-
piled the iron frame 10 the grand piano
forte. In 1888 overstrlnging was intro
duced i'm square and upright pianos. The
upright pianos began to become popu-
lar early in the seventies. induced by
want Of space In the small houses that
then were being erected. and this instru-
ment has practically taken the place of
the square piano. with the grand plano
stll Is use for large parlors and for con-
cert work.