Phytelephas

3728

Pianoforte

tissues, organs, and functions, see such articles
as CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD, DIGESTION,
LUNGS, REPRODUCTION; for vegetable physi-
ology, see PLANTS.

Phytelephas, a genus of palms, of which
the most important species is P, macro car pa,
the vegetable ivory tree.

Phytopbthora, a group of parasitic fungi,
of which much the most important species is
P. infestans, the cause of the potato disease.

Piacenza. Town, capital of the province
of Piacenza, on the r. bk. of Po. Among the
churches is the cathedral, dating from the
12th century. The church of San Sisto (1499)
formerly contained the famous Sistine Ma-
donna by Raphael. Founded as a Roman col-
ony at the same time as Cremona, Placentia,
as it was then called, was destroyed by the
Gauls in 200 B.C. Ecclesiastical councils were
held here in 1095 and 1132. It formed part of
the duchy of Parma, until incorporated in
1860 with the kingdom of Italy; p. 43,277.

Pianoforte. This instrument was invented
about 1710 by Bartolommeo Cristofori (1651-
1731), a harpsichord maker in Florence. It
differs essentially from its now practically ob-
solete precursors—the harpsichord and the
clavichord, in having its strings set in vibra-
tion by hammers. For many years after its
invention the piano was only made in the
large homontal wing or tail form, which was
that used for harpsichords. With modifica-
tions to suit various requirements, this is still
the most important form of the instrument,
and bears the name of 'grand.' Upright pianos
are thought to have been first made by C. E.
Friederici of Gera in Germany. Hawkins was
the first to adopt overspun strings for the
bass, and to construct a complete iron frame.
Thomas Loud (1802) introduced diagonal
stringing in upright pianos.

By varying the proportions and adjustment
of parts, makers can produce differences in
tone, power and touch; but certain essential
parts are common to all pianos. Besides the
case there are the 'frame/ which sustains the
tension of the strings; the 'sounding-board,'
which is the voice of the instrument; and the
'action/ which is the mechanism by means of
which the strings are set in vibration and
the tone is controlled. The frame is now
generally of iron, cast in one piece. At one
end of the frame there is a wooden wrest-
plank, containing the tuning-pins, into which
the strings are fastened, the other ends of the
strings being secured to hitch-pins placed
round the opposite end and side of the frame.
The strings rest upon, hardwqocj bridges.

which are glued to tho sounding-board. The
latter is an important feature, as its propor-
tions and properties determine to a large ex-
tent the tone-producing qualities of the in-
strument. The strings when vibrating, have
their tremors conveyed by the bridges to the
sounding-board, which is thus set in vibra-
tion. The action is a wonderful piece of
mechanism. In the modern piano there are
usually only two pedals: that controlled by
the right foot, and called the 'loud' pedal,
when pressed down removes the dampers col-
lectively from all the strings; the 'soft' pedal
diminishes the tone, cither by shifting the
action so that the hammers strike fewer
strings, or by interposing a strip of cloth or
felt, or by shortening the* length of stroke of
the hammers. A third pedal is sometimes in-
troduced; it is used to obtain a sostenuto
effect. The strings for a piano are made of
cast steel of the finest quality, the smallest
string having a breaking strain of about 300
Ibs. The earlier pianos seldom had a compass
of more than four or five octaves; but as the
instrument developed the compass was ex-
tended, and since about 1855 the term full
compass—though some pianos have a few
additional higher notes—has been understood
to mean one of seven octaves. Music for the
piano is written on the bass and treble
staves, and like the organ, the piano is tuned
to the system of equally tempered intervals.
On February 7, 1936, a piano keyboard was
reported that provides a seventeen note oc-
tive. It was invented by A. C. Ogolenet, a
Moscow musician. His inspiration came from
the fact that the present keyboard docs not
differentiate between" sharps and flats. The
advantage claimed for this new keyboard is
that it will make possible the rendition of
Arabic and Iranian music. In musical circles
it is felt that progress toward this change had
already been made by Alex Saba, a Czecho-
slovak composer, and also by Rimsky Kor-
sakoff.

Pianoforte-players, Mechanical. The
first method of playing an ordinary piano by
mechanical means seems to have been that
invented by Debain of Paris about 1848. The
apparatus formed a part of the instrument in
which it was used, and it could be introduced
into organs and harmoniums as well as into
pianos. Debain's invention has been largely
superseded by a system of mechanism control*
ed by pneumatic action. The musical nota-
tion of the .composition which the instrument
performs is represented by perforations made
in a scroll of tough, strong paper wound upon.