Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-17
FIRST F|ANO, SINGLE
STRING |NS7RUME EAT
Original Grand Was Made by
B. Christofori in 1920;
Upright in 1900.


the wonderful piano player and the eX
celleuce with which pianos are made and
the fact that the idea of the piano was
taken from the ancients, II is not sur
prising that many persons learn for the
first time, that the piano is practically
a modern instrument.
1t is presumed that Egypt WAS the
first nation to bring to q certain per-
fection, the stringed instruments left
from ancient nations. Certain it is that
Egypt is looked upon as the source
whence the art and sciences were diff
fused over Europe, and from all ac-
counts that we now have this rs more
than likely to be true.
The forerlnners of our piano Of to-
DAY were the Tyre. dulcimer, kythara
or guitar, the monochord and all harp
like instruments These YOU will find
mentioned in Biblical stories, and they
NAV hc said therefore to date back
long before the birth of Christ. In fact
there is in possession of the Berlin Museum
lyrc OF the Egyptian make dating
back at least 10 1000 b. c.
The harp was also ono of the favor
ite instruments of the Egyptians, and
was found delincated from the earliest
| ages in many different forms This in
strument dates back from about 500
vsare before Christ.
II Is asserted that the first person to
| discover the principle OF the modern
piano was Pvthagoras. This was done
| about 500 b. G. The instrument was
! called n monochord and consisted OF
| but single string or wire stretched
! over bridges fixed on an oblong box
| In 1925 or thereabout, a monk, Guido
d'Arezzo, who is considered the founder
/ { IL.
the monochord by applying more strings
and later added keys.
II was not until the fourteenth cen
tury that the clavichord was introduced.
To this instrument was attached the key
/ board. and il was from the clavichord
that the idea of the square piaroiortc
was taken
In 1892, the year that Columbus dis
covered the New World, an Italian in
vented the clavicybalum This differed
very materially from the clavichord and
appears 10 have been the original Of
the harpsichord, the strings being dis
posed after the manner of the harp.
About two years later the splnCt was
invented by an Italian by the name
Of Spinetti and was followed by the
harpsichord This instrument was evi-
dcntaly suggested by the harp from
which it received its name 1t was in fact
only large sized spinet The Germans
called it the "Flucgel' on account Of the
resemblance OF the shape OF wing
This name still is used by them
FIRST GRAND PIANO.
The honor of introducing the first
grand piano is generally conceded to be-
long rightly to Bartolommeo Christofori
and it was not until the year 1920 that
IL was completed Pianos of his manu-
facture were not very successful. and II
was not until the years Of 1926 that the
grand pianos made by Gottfricd Silber-
mann were recognized as being the first
to be practical SiIbermann's pianos
were the favorites OF John Sebastin Bach
They cannot be called perfect however
for they were OF very limited powers.
Judging from the style Of Bach's compost
tions. The early sonatos of Haydn also
bear marks of the influence of this inter
esting instrument
The first square piano was made In
London about the year I726, when 1t was
introduced by johannes Zumpe These
square planes, on account OF their tone,
which was particularly sweet, light touch
and moderate price suddenly rose to such
favor that they could not be made fast
enough to crafty the public fondness for
them. The square piano was developed
and continued ID use in England for about
one hundred years, when the upright
superseded 1t.
The great mechanical genius Sebastian
Erard, q German, went TO Paris TO seek
larger fields for his mechanical ideas,
and in the wear ITS began the manu-
facture of small pianofortes of five octaves
with two pedals. the tone and mechanism
Of which are said 10 have been truly re-
markable for that period At the age Of
twenty-five wears his reputation was 50
fully established that whoever wished
to have any ideas carried into execution
applied to no one but him The Queen
ordered an instrument made 70 suit her
voice which was Of limited compass.
Erard rendered the keyboard OF this
special instrument movable. so that by
changing its position composition might
be PLAYED q semitone, whole tone or even
a minor third lower or higher without
tasking the players ability 10 transpose
Rapid strides were nov made toward
the development Of the pianofortc. John
Broadwood, Scotchman. succeeded in
making radical changes in the construction
Of the square piano, and WIS the first to add
pedals 10 the piano which were not known
up 10 the year 1893.
FIRST UPRIGHT PIANO.
Pianos were now being made in the
form Of grands and squares, but it re-
mained for John Isaac Hawkins, and Eng
lishman residing in Philadelphia, TO make
the first upright piano This was in the
wear 1900, when to him was granted
patent for his invention.
One Of the earliest piano makers in
the United States was Joseph Hisky, who
had an establishment IN Baltimore As
early as 1920. His instruments were very
popular throughout the Southern States,
which were supplied with musical in
struments during that period through
Charleston or Baltimore, owing to their
geographical position.
The Hisky piano demonstrates very
careful construction; the cabinet work
savors Of originality. and the quality Of
the tone Is to this day Of pleasing chaTac-
ter, clearly showing that he constructed
bis pianos on acoustic principles far above
the common order
The first piano 70 be made in Washing
ton, ID. G., was by Johannes Francis
Kahl, who served Iii, apprenticeship at
Frankfort-on-the-M lain Kahfs number
of instruments was limited, but they were
Of a superior quality, having great dura
bility and excellent staying powers, and
possessing q refined tone. Every part Of
these instruments was made IN Kahl's
shop He cut the ivory for the keys,
wound the bass strings and did all the