HOW -THE
PIANO
GAME
TO-BE
"by-EHye
Howell
Glover
LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OP
CALIFORNIA
SAN OIEGO
HOW THE PIANO CAME TO BE
UPRIGHT HARPSICHORD
(From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City)
-
HOW THE PIANO
CAME TO BE
BY
ELLYE HOWELL GLOVER
ILLUSTRATED
CHICAGO
BROWNE & HOWELL COMPANY
1913
COPYRIGHT, 1913
BY BROWNE & HOWELL COMPANY
PUBLISHED, OCTOBER, 1913
THE-PLIMPTON'PRESS
NORWOOD-MASS-U-S-A
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Upright Harpsichord Frontispiece
Clavicytherium or Upright Spinet . Facing page 12
Clavichord 12
Spinet 16
Queen Elizabeth's Virginal 16
Double Spinet or Virginal made by Ludovicus
Grovvelus 20
Clavichord made by John Christopher Jesse . 24
Dulcimer 28
Christofori Piano 32
Piano made by Matthaus Andreas Stein ... 40
Piano made by Benjamin Crehore 48
Piano made by Charles Albrecht 48
Piano, Primitive German Action 52
A Stodart Piano 56
HOW THE PIANO CAME TO BE
How the Piano
Came To Be
r ROM the dried sinews stretched
across the shell of a dead tortoise
to the concert-grand piano of the
present day is a far flight. Yet to
this primitive source, it is said, may
be traced the evolution of the
stringed instrument which reached
its culmination in the piano. The
latter has been aptly called "the
household orchestra," and in tracing
its origin one must go far back into
the annals of the past. If we accept
the Bible as history, and it is the
greatest of all histories, the stringed
instrument is of very ancient date.
It is recorded that the ambassadors
[9]
HOW THE PIANO
who came to the court of Saul
played upon their nebels, and that
David, the sweet singer of Israel,
wooed the king from his sadness by
singing to his harp. We must go
back to the civilization of ancient
Egypt, more than five hundred
years before that morning nearly
two thousand years ago when, it is
written, the angelic choir chanted
above the historic manger the glori-
ous message, " Peace on earth, good
will to men," and the morning stars
sang together.
In the olden times the Greeks
laid claim to everything which be-
spoke culture and progress. The
pages of ancient history record no
other one thing so persistently as
"the glory that was Greece." And
so they tell of the time when
[10]
CAME TO BE
"Music, heavenly maid, was young,
And yet in ancient Greece she sung!"
It is now generally conceded, how-
ever, that it was not in Greece but
in ancient Egypt that art, music,
and the sciences in general were
born. That the Egyptians had
stringed instruments is unquestion-
able. Away back in the year 525
B.C. Cambyses subdued the land.
He overthrew the temples in the
ruins of which have been found
the records of musical instruments
dating from the very earliest times.
But the priests who guarded the
temples were slain, and every vestige
of what might have helped to de-
termine the origin of the stringed
instrument, out of which, later, the
piano was evolved, as well as the
names of those who wrought and
("I
HOW THE PIANO
endeavored to construct instruments
which would give forth music, was
forever lost.
For lack of written authority, then,
one must turn back to tradition for
light upon the origin of the piano.
Tradition says that Ham, or one of
his sons, led the first colony into
Egypt. In fact there is a legend
that Noah himself once dwelt there
and some historians have identified
him with the great deity of the
Egyptians, Osiris. To Hermes, or
Mercury, the secretary of Osiris, is
ascribed the invention of the first
stringed instrument. The story is
that Hermes was walking one day
along the banks of the Nile. It was
just after one of the great inunda-
tions. The Nile had overflowed its
banks and the land had been sub-
CLAVICYTHERIUM OR UPRIGHT SPINET
CLAVICHORD
CAME TO BE
merged. But now the water had
subsided, and as Hermes walked
along the shore, his foot struck acci-
dentally against the shell of a dead
tortoise. Across the inside of the
shell the dried sinews were tightly
stretched. Hermes picked it up and
touched the sinews with his fingers.
He was amazed to hear the sweet
tones which the picking of the
strings produced. He set to work
to make a musical instrument, using
the shell of a tortoise for the body
and placing strings across it. In
substantiation of this legend we find
in examining the lyre of the ancient
Greeks that almost every one was
ornamented with a tortoise. We
find also in the records of the Hin-
dus, the Chinese, the Persians, and
the Hebrews that these people had
[13]
HOW THE PIANO
stringed musical instruments at a
very early date and that the most
common among them was the lyre
in its various modifications.
The famous sepulcher of Rameses
III is elaborately ornamented with
harps. Specimens of this instru-
ment have been found also in exca-
vations made in comparatively recent
years. In 1823 Sir J. G. Wilkinson
discovered in an old Egyptian tomb
a harp which, despite the fact that
three thousand years had gone by
since it had been put to sleep beside
its royal master, was in an excellent
state of preservation. The strings
were of cat-gut and were in marvel-
ously good condition. The custom
which the Egyptians had of portray-
ing their daily life upon their city
walls, their temples, and tombs has
CAME TO BE
been of incalculable value to the
antiquarians in search of authentic
information. From the pictures
which ornament these temples and
tombs we have learned that the harp
and the lyre were the favorite instru-
ments of the Egyptians, and these
carvings alone furnish indisputable
proof of their use by these people.
But all the research which man,
thus far, has been able to make has
not revealed just who it was that
first discovered music in a lifeless
instrument. This fact will always
be deeply veiled in mystery. All
attempts to unravel the threads have
failed. None knows yet just who
they were who first
"Struck the chorded shell,
And, wondering, on their faces fell
To worship the celestial sounds.
[iSl
HOW THE PIANO
Less than a God they thought there scarce
could dwell
Within the hollow of that shell
That spoke so sweetly and so well."
Just how many strings Hermes
had on his tortoise-shell instrument
is a much disputed question. Some
say there were but three and that
they represented the three seasons
spring, summer, and winter into
which it was the custom of the
Greeks to divide their year. Some
authorities claim that the strings
numbered four. Others say there
were seven. No one knows. The
Greek harp was played by picking
the strings with the fingers or with
a plectrum. The latter was a small
piece of bone or metal, held in the
fingers, with which the strings were
snapped. Sometimes a short piece
[16]
SPINET
QUEEN ELIZABETH'S VIRGINAL
CAME TO BE
of wood was used to strike the
strings.
A step forward in the evolution of
the stringed instrument was made
during the Middle Ages when the
psaltery became popular. It con-
sisted of a box with strings across
it, and records for us the first attempt
at a sounding board. This was fol-
lowed by the dulcimer, which closely
resembled it but was somewhat
larger. A plectrum was used to
play them both.
A very good idea of the psaltery
and dulcimer may be obtained
from the xylophone. This instru-
ment has bars of wood or metal
which are struck with a wooden
mallet. The keyboard was invented
in the eleventh century. It was
applied first to an instrument called
[17]
HOW THE PIANO
a clavier and later to the organ.
The first stringed instrument to
which this new device was applied
was the clavicytherium, or keyed
cithara. It had a box with a cover
and strings of cat-gut, arranged in
the form of a half triangle. It was
made to sound by means of a quill
plectrum attached in a rude way to
the end of the keys. This was the
progress the piano of today had
made in the thirteenth century.
Next in order of development
comes the monochord, clarichord, or
clavichord, the latter being the name
by which it is generally known. As
it was the instrument most used
during the six centuries which fol-
lowed, it is worthy of close study.
In shape it much resembled a small
square piano without frame or legs.
[18]
CAME TO BE
The strings were of brass, struck
by a wedge made of the same
metal which was called a tangent.
It was capable of soft tones only,
but they were very sweet and mel-
ancholy. The elder Bach loved this
instrument. He did not take kindly
to the piano which was about to
supplant his beloved clavichord. One
regrets that he could not have lived
to have seen it perfected. In play-
ing the music written by Bach we
must remember that he wrote en-
tirely for the clavichord. The in-
strument he used was, without doubt,
the product of Italy, as during this
time the Italians led all Europe in
the arts. At a later period the
clavichord was copied by the Ger-
mans and Belgians. It was used by
them for centuries on account of its
[19]
HOW THE PIANO
simple construction and low price.
Mozart always carried one with him
as part of his baggage when travel-
ing. The virginal, spinet, and harp-
sichord followed the clavichord in
rapid succession, considering that
the last named instrument had
been in favor for such a long time,
with seemingly no attempt at im-
provement. All of these three
instruments had strings of brass,
with quill plectra attached to
pieces of wood. These were called
"jacks" a name still used today
in making up the action of the
piano.
The virginal and spinet were
almost identical with each other,
but the harpsichord was larger and
occasionally was built with two
keyboards. There are several ex-
[20]
a
o
c
* >
- o
O
pi
O
CAME TO BE
planations as to why the virginal
was so called. One is that it got
its name from its association with
hymns to the Virgin. Another is
that it was thus called in honor of
Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen. We
may accept whichever theory best
suits us, but history records that
both Elizabeth and Mary of Scotland
were proficient in its use and that
it was the favorite instrument of
Henry VIII. Items for repairs and
for instruction in playing the vir-
ginal appear frequently in the royal
expense book, showing conclusively
that His Majesty was not unmind-
ful of such accomplishments. Four
octaves was the range of these old
instruments, from the second added
line below in the bass to the second
added line above in the treble.
[21]
HOW THE PIANO
There was but one string to each
note, and one can well understand
why a writer of that period de-
scribes the tone as "a scratch with
a sound at the end of it." Queen
Elizabeth's virginal is still preserved
at Worcestershire. It is a most
elaborate creation, having a cedar
case ornately covered with crimson
velvet and lined with yellow silk. Its
weight is only twenty-four pounds.
Gold plate covers the front. Thirty
of its fifty keys are of ebony with
tips of gold. The semitone keys
are inlaid with silver, ivory, and vari-
ous woods, each key being composed
of two hundred and fifty pieces.
The royal arms are emblazoned upon
the case. The Queen's virginal in-
struction book is also carefully kept,
one of the many silent records of
[22]
CAME TO BE
the accomplishments of this gifted
and brilliant woman.
The instrument which belonged,
once upon a time, to Mary Queen
of Scots was not quite so gorgeous.
Its case was of oak inlaid with cedar,
but it was ornamented with gold
and had rare paintings on the case.
It was customary to employ the
best artists to decorate these in-
struments, as this greatly enhanced
their value. There is a story that
Salvatore Rosa, on a wager, made
his almost valueless harpsichord
worth a thousand scudi by painting
a landscape with figures upon the
lid.
In July of the year 1701 the
London Post had an article relating
to virginals which reads: :< This
week a most curious pair of virginals,
[23]
HOW THE PIANO
reckoned to be the finest in Eng-
land, was shipped off for the Grand
Seigneur's seraglio."
Old Pepys, in his diary, gives a
description of the great fire in Lon-
don which occurred in 1666, in which
he says: "The river was full of
lighters and boats, taking in goods,
good goods swimming in the water;
and only I observed that hardly
one lighter or boat but that there
was a pair of virginals on it." The
word "pair" as it is used then had
no more meaning than when we
now say "a pair of scissors." This
extract shows that the instrument
must have been almost as commonly
used as the piano of our day. In
Shakespeare's time it was customary
to have a virginal in a barber shop
for the entertainment of customers,
[24]
o
CAME TO BE
probably to beguile the weary mo-
ments while they waited for the
barber to say "next."
In shape the spinet resembled the
harp placed horizontally in the
framework. A very good example
may be seen at the South Kensing-
ton Museum in London. It was
made by Rossi, a celebrated manu-
facturer. The Metropolitan Museum
in New York has rare specimens of
the harp which were given by the
late Mr. Drexel, of Philadelphia, who
purchased them in Europe. There
are two theories as to the origin of
the name "spinet." One is, that it
was taken from Spinetti, a Venetian
who invented the oblong form of
the case. The other is that the
strings were made to vibrate by
the points of a quill, and that the
Us)
HOW THE PIANO
word "spinet" came from thorn or
point.
In tone the spinet was usually a
fifth higher than that of the harpsi-
chord, which came into favor during
the eighteenth century. The latter
was almost exactly like our grand
piano, only very much smaller. To
Italy has been accorded the honor
of its origin, also, away back in the
fifteenth century. It was not com-
monly used, however, until about
1702. A harpsichord on exhibition
at the South Kensington Museum
in London bears the date of 1521.
A step towards the present-day con-
struction of the piano is shown by
the fact that there were always two
wire strings to each note and some-
times three or four, and that it had
a keyboard covering five octaves.
[26]
CAME TO BE
It was like an organ in that it had
register stops and sometimes a double
keyboard.
Hans Ruckers, of Antwerp, was
the most celebrated maker of the
harpsichord in those days. One of
his best specimens belongs to the
Drexel collection in New York. Han-
del delighted in his Ruckers harpsi-
chord and gave it preference over
all others, which is adequate proof
of its superiority. It was his pleas-
ure to play upon it long after his
failing eyesight forbade the use of
notes. He had to improvise entirely,
but was so expert that the orchestra
with whom he played was often
diverted by his wonderful accom-
paniments. This partiality was re-
sented by the soloists and one of
them told Handel that if he ever
[27]
HOW THE PIANO
played him such a trick while he
was singing, he would jump down on
his harpsichord and smash it. This
amused Handel immensely and he
exclaimed, "You vill jump, vill you?
Varey well, sare. Be so kind und
tell me ven you vill jump, und I vill
advertise it in der bills." We are
told that every key of Handel's
instrument was hollowed like the
bowl of a spoon, so incessant was his
practice. One very lovely harpsi-
chord still in existence has its history
veiled in mystery, but the supposi-
tion is that it once belonged to Marie
Antoinette.
Clementi had one of the last
harpsichords made. The date upon
the case was 1802. Beethoven's fa-
mous "Moonlight Sonata" was writ-
ten for either harpsichord or piano.
[28]
DULCIMER
CAME TO BE
It was published in 1802. Hummel
played on the harpsichord as late
as 1805, but it had to give way,
though most reluctantly, to the new
invention called the pianoforte. Just
how slow the public was in accepting
the innovation and improvement
upon the instruments mentioned,
the following quotation from a folio
gotten out by Thomas Mace, who
was one of the clerks of Trinity
College, at the University of Cam-
bridge, testifies. He was pleased to
call his booklet "Musick's Monu-
ment," and it was printed in 1676
in London.
He scorned the new invention but
warmly upheld the lute and viol.
He explained that the lute was once
considered difficult to play because
it had too few strings, only ten to
" m =
HOW THE PIANO
fourteen, while at the time of his
writing it had sixteen to twenty-six.
He makes the statement that he
never spent more than a shilling a
quarter for strings. The care of a
lute he describes quaintly:
"And that you may know how
to shelter your lute in the worst of
ill weathers (which is moist) you
shall do well, ever when you lay it
by in the day time, to put It into a
Bed that is constantly used, between
the Rug and Blanket, but never
between the Sheets, because, they
may be moist. This is the most
absolute and best place to keep
It in always, by which doing, you
will find many Great Conveniences.
Therefore, a Bed will secure from
all these inconveniences and keep
your Glew as Hard as Glass and all
[30]
CAME TO BE
safe and sure; only to be excepted,
that no Person be so inconsiderate
as to Tumble down upon the Bed
whilst the lute is there, for I have
known several Good lutes spoiled
with such a Trick."
Again we are indebted to Italy
for the invention and name of the
pianoforte. It is a strange fact
that, entirely unknown to one an-
other, three men were working out
the same principle namely, the
hammer action at the same time.
Marius in France, Schroeter in
Germany, and Bartolomeo Christo-
fori (often called Christofali) in Italy
worked secretly and simultaneously,
and for a long time it was undecided
to whom the honor really belonged.
A careful examination of all records,
however, establishes beyond a doubt
[31]
HOW THE PIANO
the priority of Christofori's claim.
The hammer action was what all
previous instruments lacked, and
it seems strange that it took nearly
two thousand years for this principle
to be discovered and applied. Many
times the inventors appeared to be
almost upon it. They worked all
around it, but the idea seemed illu-
sive and they never grasped it.
At this point it might be well to
enumerate in order the instruments
which preceded the piano, if only to
fasten them clearly in memory: the
lyre and harp of the ancients;
the dulcimer, played by means of
the plectra and to which, as the
hand could use but one plectrum,
there was a keyboard added to use
all the ringers, thus moving the
plectra faster; the clavichord, with
[32]
CHRISTOFORI PIANO FROM THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM
OF ART, NEW YORK CITY
CAME TO BE
tangents of brass to strike the strings ;
the virginal and the spinet, in reality
the same; the harpsichord, with its
crow quills to half rub, half strike
the strings, still far away from the
hammer action of the present-day
piano. It seems almost unaccount-
able that the manufacturers who so
greatly improved the mechanism of
the harpsichord at this stage failed
to discover the hammer action. But
at last, after the quest of centuries,
the quill, thorn, and ivory were dis-
carded and a small hammer struck
the string, giving a clear, precise,
but delicate tone hitherto unheard.
The "scratch with a sound at the
end" was gone forever. The harp-
sichord had been changed into an
instrument of percussion, and it only
remained for man to perfect that
[33]
HOW THE PIANO
primitive creation into the superb
piano of today.
Although Italy gave the invention
to the world, it remained for northern
Europe and England to take up the
idea and improve it. Christofori
solved three important problems:
first, the construction of thicker
strings to withstand the hammer
action ; second, a way to compensate
for the weakness caused by the open-
ing in the tuning-pin block; third,
the mechanical control of the re-
bound of the hammer from the
strings, so that the hammer should
not block against the latter and pre-
vent vibration.
The first Christofori instrument
was brought out in 1709. Marius
did not come forth with his claim
until 1716, and Schroeter not until
[34]
CAME TO BE
the next year. The name "piano-
forte" is traced clearly to the year
1598 and is said to have been origi-
nated by an Italian named Palia-
rino. In some of his manuscripts
he mentions an instrument called
piano e forte. The English put in
a claim for a monk living in Rome
who had made an instrument re-
sembling Christofori's in 1711 and
had brought it to England, where it
created a profound sensation. This
may have been true, but England
did little to develop even the harp-
sichord until long after Continental
makers had achieved marked success
in the business. In 1760 German
workmen to the number of twelve
went to London. They were known
as the Twelve Apostles, and it is
their descendants who became identi-
[35]
fied with the successful development
of the piano down to the present
time.
Very few of the first Christofori
pianos have been preserved. One,
in excellent repair, is in the Metro-
politan Museum in New York. Two
are in Florence, dated 1720 and 1726.
They show, beyond a doubt, that he
had anticipated the plan of escape-
ment and hammer checking. Like
many other pioneer inventors, this
man died in comparative poverty.
Schroeter, the German claimant, be-
came a famous maker of instru-
ments. He succeeded in improving
the piano to a large extent. But
his life was made miserable fighting
the claims of other manufacturers
who sprang up and immediately
went into business. Marius met
[36]
CAME TO BE
the same fate, being driven to dis-
traction by competitors, some of
whom turned out instruments far
superior to his.
England did not accomplish much
before the middle of the eighteenth
century. Up to 1760 all pianos
were made in what is known as the
"grand" form. Then a German in
the employ of the Tschudi's, famous
makers of harpsichords, invented
the familiar " square " style. At
the beginning of the nineteenth
century, the most noted European
makers were the Stiens, Stodart,
Broadwood, Pleyel, Erard, and Sil-
berman. Pleyel was distinguished
not only for his fine instruments,
but for the fact that he was the
twenty-fourth child born to his
mother after she married Martin
[37]
HOW THE PIANO
Pleyel. She died soon after his
birth, whereupon his father took
unto himself another wife and had
fourteen more children, making a
family of thirty-eight, thirty-five of
whom lived and prospered. Pleyel
was chapel master of Strasburg
Cathedral. He was the author of
some fine hymns and other compo-
sitions which we know and love
today. He lived in Paris, manufac-
tured splendid pianos, and was, be-
fore his death, proprietor of one of
the largest establishments in Europe.
To show against what prejudice
the piano had to struggle as com-
pared to the harpsichord (and even
the clavichord), we quote from a
musical critic in Leipzig who said:
"The clavichord stands highest of
all instruments, and although on
[38]
CAME TO BE
account of its nature it is excluded
from the concert hall, it is the com-
panion of the recluse. The latter
says to himself: 'Here I can
produce the feelings of my heart,
can shade fully, drive away care,
and melt away a tone through
all its swellings/' This critic says
further:
"The piano is so deficient in its
shadings and minor attractions, it
is adapted only for concerts and
chamber music." This dissertation
closes as follows: "In order to judge
a virtuoso, one must listen to him
while at the clavichord, not while
at the piano or harpsichord."
To illustrate the novelty of the
piano in the year 1767, we find on
an old English play bill of the
Covent Garden Theater a certain
[39]
HOW THE PIANO
Miss Brickler advertised to sing a
favorite song from "Judith," ac-
companied by Mr. Dibdin on " a new
instrument " called the pianoforte.
This was at the intermission after
the first act of "The Beggars" opera.
After Mozart became acquainted
with the piano, he gave his prefer-
ence to those made by Stien, of
Augsburg. Afterwards, however, he
transferred his affection to those
made by Anton Walter, of Vienna.
His "grand," which was but five
octaves, with white sharps and black
naturals, is now in the Mozarteum
at Salzburg.
Silberman, the German maker, was
finally successful in interesting King
Frederick of Prussia in his new in-
strument to the extent of persuading
him to purchase outright all he had
[40]
PIANO MADE BY MATTHAUS ANDREAS STEIN
VIENNA, EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY
CAME TO BE
finished. There were some fifteen
of these, which were placed in the
rooms at the palace. This demon-
strates the King's love for music.
He was a flute player of considerable
ability. One of the court musicians
was Carl Philip Emanuel Bach, son
of the great master, and King Fred-
erick had expressed a desire to hear
the elder Bach play upon the new in-
vention. For some time old Sebastian
was obstinate and tartly declined all
invitations. His son at last cajoled
him into acceding to the King's
wishes. He arrived most unexpect-
edly and excited the King to such an
extent that he rushed out exclaiming:
"Gentlemen, old Bach has come."
During the performance he stood
behind the musician's chair mutter-
ing in an undertone: "Only one
[41]
HOW THE PIANO
Bach, only one Bach." The King
requested the improvisation of a
fugue in six parts, which the master
did to the astonishment of all present.
But for the new instrument Bach
had little use. He complimented
Silberman on his production, but he
found fault with the unequal tones.
He said the high notes were too weak,
that it was too hard to play. Of
course this greatly displeased the
maker. For a long time he was very
angry. But his better judgment
came to the rescue and at a later
date he succeeded in producing an
instrument to which the master gave
his approval. Bach, however, was
never convinced that any instrument
was equal to his beloved clavichord.
It will be of interest to women to
know that Maria Anna Stien, daugh-
[42]
CAME TO BE
ter of Johann Andreas Stien, the
piano maker, was a most successful
business woman, carrying on the
manufacturing of instruments. This
she continued after her marriage to
Herr Streicher. She was a person
of rare refinement and a warm friend
of Beethoven, whom she greatly ad-
mired. She was privileged to make
his last years more comfortable than
any he had previously experienced.
Good servants were provided to look
after his bodily needs and she always
had one of her best pianos at his
disposal. In a letter to "Nanette,"
as she was called, he wrote: "Per-
haps you do not know that though
I have not always had one of your
pianos, since 1809 I have invariably
preferred them."
As late as 1882 there was a grand
[43]
HOW THE PIANO
piano at Windsor Castle which bore
the name of Nanette Stien, Maker.
It belonged to Queen Victoria.
Clementi may be considered the
first legitimate writer for the piano.
All the great masters, including
Scarlatti, Handel, Bach, and Haydn
(in his first compositions), were writ-
ten for the clavichord. So when
listening to the classics they have
left for us, we must remember the
limitations of the instruments upon
which they played and for which
they wrote. Probably no one has
realized this fact more keenly than
the late Mr. Morris Stienert, of New
Haven, Conn. He spent the best
years of his life (to say nothing of
his fortune) in collecting the rare
and valuable instruments which he
presented to Yale College.
[44]
CAME TO BE
Mr. Stienert not only searched for
these treasures all over Europe, but
he had them restored and played
upon them, thus giving to the world
the long-forgotten sounds and show-
ing, by the only method possible,
just how the great masters played.
During the World's Fair the Stienert
collection was in the Manufacturers'
Building, the center of attraction for
music lovers. His experiences were
most interesting in obtaining some
of the rarest specimens. For in-
stance, a harpsichord with the date
1710 on its case was found broken
and dust-covered in an attic in
Vienna. It had two keyboards,
tortoise-shell naturals and ivory
sharps. It had eight stops, one imi-
tating the lute and one the flute.
The sounding board was elaborately
[45]
HOW THE PIANO
painted with flowers and other deco-
rative symbols, while the inside lid
was ornate with strictly Japanese
art.
The dearly loved * Nanette Stien"
piano, Beethoven's much prized pos-
session, is in Mr. Stienert' collec-
tion. America is the home of many
priceless pianos. In this same group
we find an instrument once belonging
to Napoleon Bonaparte. To be cor-
rect, it is a harpsichord, and it was
given to a French sergeant when
the fallen monarch was banished to
St. Helena. The Frenchman came
to America and gave the harpsichord
to Simon Bates, of Scituate Harbor
Light, Mass., from whose heirs Mr.
Steinert purchased it. Claviers, dul-
cimers, spinets, and harpsichords, be-
longing once upon a time to Bach,
[46]
CAME TO BE
Haydn, and Mozart, are in this
famous collection.
Besides the instruments of by-
gone days, Mr. Stienert has been
able to get original manuscripts,
worth their weight in gold. It is a
fascinating character study to ex-
amine the scores of the old masters
and note the difference in style and
method. For many years this man
made arduous tours with his instru-
ments, giving lectures and illustrating
them with actual performance of the
music on the instrument for which it
was composed. His only compensa-
tion was that he felt he was further-
ing the true spirit of art and music
in this the country of his adoption.
In his personal reminiscences pub-
lished some years ago he says:
"How dealers in pianos of this day
[47]
HOW THE PIANO
must envy the manufacturers of the
good old times when they remember
that then the would-be purchaser had
to look up the maker and court his
pleasure. He had to sign a written
contract, the terms of which sound
droll enough to us. The time limit
for construction was from six to
twelve months and the payments
were, generally, so much cash, so
many casks of wine, a certain amount
of corn, wheat, and potatoes, while
geese, chickens, and turkeys consti-
tuted some of the articles used in
payment. Even a few cords of wood
would be acceptable in making up
the balance. When the piano was
completed, ready for delivery at
the home of the impatient purchaser,
a general festival took place. The
maker was the hero of the hour. He
[48]
O
CAME TO BE
was accompanied by his craftsmen,
and apprentices if he had any, and
they followed the gaily decorated
wagon and horses which bore the
precious burden to its new home. A
band of music headed the procession
and the maker was borne aloft on the
shoulders of his assistants. Musi-
cians, organists, school masters, and
other dignitaries marched in the
rear. At the place of destination
the procession was received with
joyous shouts of welcome. The min-
ister said a prayer and blessed the
instrument and its maker. Then
the mayor or burgomaster delivered
an address, dwelling at length upon
the importance of the event to the
whole community, stating that the
coming of the new musical instru-
ment would raise the standing of
[49]
HOW THE PIANO
the place in the eyes of the surround-
ing countryside. Speeches followed
by the school master, doctor, drug-
gist, and other officials. The manne-
chor of the village rendered songs,
and amid the strains from the band
the piano was moved into place.
A banquet and dance closed the
happy occasion."
In those days the manufacturer
had to make each article by hand
that went into a piano, which is the
reason it took so long to finish the
instrument.
If the early records are reliable,
the history of the piano in this
country begins at Philadelphia. In
1775 John Behrend, a German or
Swede, built an instrument in the
Quaker city, and up to 1855 it con-
tinued to be the center of trade in
[50]
PIANO MADE BY CHARLES ALBRECHT, PHILADELPHIA
CAME TO BE
musical instruments. When we con-
sider how much the piano has con-
tributed to the happiness of mankind
and to the promotion of art and
culture, the honor conceded to the
Pennsylvania city is by no means
a small one. The first spinets and
virginals made on this side of the
water were undoubtedly of Phila-
delphia manufacture. This was in
the year 1742. Along with its musi-
cal progress it is said that the first
hand or barrel organs were made
there, and of the latter some one
says: "They are the curse and
plague of the modern high class
individual." A Scotchman, who set-
tled in Philadelphia near the end
of 1785, was the maker of the hand-
organ.
To show that the town was pro-
HOW THE PIANO
gressive in all kinds of instruments,
we find that the historical society
of Philadelphia has records of the
first organ built there in 1737 by
one Mathew Zimmerman. Local
historians claim it to be the first
one built in America. John Clark
built one at Salem, Mass., in 1743,
for the Episcopal church at that
place. This puts Massachusetts well
to the front in early musical history.
Zimmerman's will, probated the same
year he finished the organ, bequeaths
it to his nephew and expresses the
hope that he would learn to play
upon it, adding, "If not, it can be
sold, owing to its being so much of
a curiosity."
The story of the first piano to
come into this country is truly
romantic and historic. The famous
[52]
a
Z
pg
O
n
2
c
CAME TO BE
continental frigate "Boston," a pri-
vateer, sailed into port with a British
merchant ship as a prize. The daunt-
less Captain Tucker was in com-
mand. The cargo was sold for the
benefit of the National Treasury,
and among other articles was a
pianoforte of London make.
It was not until after the revo-
lutionary period that the spinet
and harpsichord were superseded
in this country by the piano. A
newspaper of 1791 tells us that there
were some twenty-seven pianos
among the wealthy Boston families.
All were of English make. In 1840
slow, easy-going ways crept into
Philadelphia and she lost the prestige
she once enjoyed of being the center
of musical culture as well as of art
and literature. Boston took the
[53]
HOW THE PIANO
place and has held it ever since.
Many of the distinctive features of
the American piano actually origi-
nated there, such as the applying
of metal in construction, which idea
was first shown to be practical by
Alpheus Babcock and Jonas Chick-
ering. Then Timothy Gilbert, an-
other Boston man, conceived the
upright action which is in such
general use today. There is no
doubt but that Chickering was
the first man who dared deviate
from a prescribed method in case
building.
Old newspapers contain much of
interest concerning these first days
in the musical history of our country.
In the Boston Gazette, published in
1770, we are told that an excellent
spinet had just been completed which
[54]
CAME TO BE
for goodness of workmanship and
harmony of sound was esteemed by
the best judges to be superior to
those imported. So much for Ameri-
can skill and enterprise.
It might be well to mention that
Massachusetts is credited with mak-
ing the first violins in this country.
In 1789, also, there were two teachers
of harp and piano in Boston, one of
whom could act as tuner and repairer
if occasion demanded. We find that
Boston early supported a musical
magazine. In 1797 Peter Van
Hazen left New York for the "Hub"
and there issued the first copy of
his publication devoted to topics
on music. He also imported sheet
music direct from London. It was
about 1800 when Benjamin Crehore,
of Milton, Mass., built the first piano
Issl
HOW THE PIANO
ever made in this country, and he
did it in Boston. He was a skilled
workman who knew how to make
violins, 'cellos, guitars, drums, and
flutes. Ten or twelve pianos were
all he could make in one year and,
to the shame of America be it re-
corded, he had to put the stamp of
London or Paris upon them before
he could make a sale, showing that
our forefathers considered the for-
eign made article superior to those
of home manufacture. All these
things are changed, however; the
American instrument now commands
the highest price and is shipped to
every part of the world.
The New York newspapers of
olden time contain many notices
that are curious enough to us who
read them over in this day and
[56]
A STODART PIANO (OLD ENGLISH)
CAME TO BE
generation. For instance, we find
that "Peter Goelet has just gotten
in a supply of goods on the ship
'Earl of Dunmore/ and advertises
that he has over three hundred
articles, from masons' trowels to
oil paint, skillets and books, paint-
pots, guitars, fiddles, flutes and other
musical instruments, as well as a
large box of harpsichord wire and
hammers."
This motley collection no doubt
found eager customers. Another
paper tells us that "Herman Zed-
witz, teacher of the violin, announces
to the public that he has just returned
from Europe and will give a concert
in the assembly rooms at the 'Sign
of the Golden Spade." Later, in
1774, this same man evidently found
that the public did not appreciate
1571
HOW THE PIANO
him musically, for the intervals were
so long between lessons and engage-
ments for his violin that he was
forced to take up the occupation of
a chimney sweep. From accounts
in the paper he must have inaugu-
rated a sort of trust, for he adver-
tised to take contracts by the year
for "dusting out the sooty interior
of flues" and adds, "None but
competent boys employed." Evi-
dently musical culture in New York
was temporarily at a low ebb.
In this story of the evolution of
the piano we have seen how, from
its primitive beginning, it has become
the one splendid instrument that is
capable of representing the effect of
a full orchestra. Before the death
of Beethoven he realized the tre-
mendous power of the piano and
[58]
CAME TO BE
displayed its resources in a manner
undreamed of by Haydn. Could
these old masters return today and
sit at one of the splendid produc-
tions of the twentieth century they
would be dumb with amazement
and entirely at a loss as to how
to handle the enormous range of
seven and a third octaves. Best of
all, the price is such that some
style of modern piano is within the
reach of nearly every one. Music
in the home is now the rule, not
the exception.
Leigh Hunt has well expressed
the feeling of all piano lovers in these
verses, which are full of sentiment:
Oh, friend, whom glad or gay we seek,
Heaven-holding shrine;
I ope thee, touch thee, hear thee speak,
And peace is mine.
(S9l
HOW THE PIANO CAME TO BE
No fairy casket full of bliss,
Outvalues thee;
Love only, wakened with a kiss
More sweet may be.
To thee, when our full hearts o'erflow,
In griefs or joys
Unspeakable, emotions owe
A fitting voice.
Mirth flees to thee, and loves unrest,
And memory dear,
And sorrow, with his tightened breast
Comes for a tear.
Oh, since few joys of human mould,
Thus wait us still,
Thrice blessed be thine, thou gentle fold
Of peace at will.
No change, no sullenness, no cheat
In thee we find;
Thy saddest voice is ever sweet,
Thine answer kind.
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