The Piano-Forte
Its History Traced to the Great Exhibition of 1851
- Author: Harding, Rosamond E. M.
The Piano-Forte
Its History Traced to the Great Exhibition of 1851
- Author: Harding, Rosamond E. M.
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About
Originally published in 1933, this book provides a detailed history of the piano-forte from its invention in Italy in the eighteenth century until the presentation of the first European cast-iron frame for a piano at the 1851 Great Exhibition. Harding also analyses the role of the piano as a replacement for a chamber orchestra and its history as a domestic instrument. The text is richly illustrated with images of pianos produced by a variety of makers over time, as well as with images of piano machinery taken from patent registrations. This thoroughly-researched book will be of value to anyone with an interest in one of the most ubiquitous instruments in the Western world and the history of its development.
Contents
- Preface
- List of plates
- List of abbreviations
- Part I . The Pianoforte in the Eighteenth Century:
- 1. The invention of the pianoforte in Italy
- 2. The invention of the pianoforte in France
- 3. The invention and development of the pianoforte in Germany
- 4. The tangent action and the cembalo stop
- 5. The pianoforte in England
- 6. Later developments in France
- 7. The pianoforte in America
- 8. The musical significance of the new instrument
- Part II. The Pianoforte in the Nineteenth Century
- Section 1 . The Pianoforte as a Chamber Orchestra:
- 1. The pianoforte as a chamber orchestra
- 2. Devices for the purpose of sustaining the tone
- 3. Octave couplers and 'Duoclave' pianofortes
- 4. The influence of programme music upon the pianoforte
- 5. The influence of Turkish music upon the pianoforte
- 6. Turkish music and other pedals
- Section 2 . The Pianoforte as a Solo Instrument in the Early Nineteenth Century:
- 1. The concert grand pianoforte
- 2. Some improvements in the construction of the pianoforte relating to the production of a loud and sonorous tone
- 3. The metal frame
- 4. Pitch and temperament
- Section 3 . The Pianoforte as a Domestic Instrument:
- 1. The upright pianoforte
- 2. Some other types of pianofortes in the home
- 3. Pedal, transposing and self-acting pianofortes, experimental keyboards
- 4. Tuning the pianoforte and apparatus for keeping the pianoforte in tune
- Appendix A. Technical terms
- Appendix B. Bibliography
- Appendix C. List of patents
- Appendix D. Concerning wire
- Appendix E. Felt-making
- tinder and sponge for hammer heads
- process of tanning leather for hammer heads
- Appendix F. Prices of pianofortes and of materials used in their manufacture
- Appendix G. Select list of English pianoforte makers in London and its environs up to the year 1851
- Appendix H. A note on pedal signs
- Index.
