The Piano-Forte de Rosamond E. M. Harding

The Piano-Forte: Its History Traced to the Great Exhibition of 1851

Rosamond E. M. Harding

en Limba Engleză Paperback – 23 iul 2014

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.

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Cuprins

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.