Some of the men who have made the piano history of America are Jonas Chickering, the pioneer, whose place in the trade was later filled by Thomas E. and C. Frank Chickering; George and Francis Bacon; James A. Gray, William Boardman, A. H. McPhail, E. N. Scherr, Henry Lindeman, H. C. Schomacker, Ernest Knabe, Henry Hazleton, Hugh Hard man, Napoleon J. Haines, Atbery Weber, Henry E. Stcinweg (later Steinway), Charles, Henry and C. F. Theodore Steinway, William and Al bert Steinway, T. A. Heintzmann, F. G. Smith, Myron A. Decker, Hugo Sohmer, Frederick Mathushek, William E. Wheelock, Simon Krakauer, W. B. and H. B. Tremaine, Edwin S. Votey, W. W. Kimball, Edwin S. Conway, Rudolph Wurlitzer, etc.
An important modern invention is the molian attachment, by which a current of air is directed against the strings to reinforce the vibrations. Considerable increase in the vol ume and duration of the tone is thus obtained. Of course the device was not available until it became customary to use a small motor or a bellows for power. Another invention for ob taining an molian effect was brought out in 1891 by Eisemann of Berlin, who introduced electromagnets placed close to the strings. The pressing of any of the keys closed electric cur cuits, energizing the appropriate magnets and enhancing and sustaining the vibrations of the notes affected. This device had the novel effect of altering the tone of the piano so that the strings gave sounds resembling harp strings.
Of devices embodying dumb keyboards for practising purposes, the "digitorium) or dumb piano, consisting of a portable box equipped with five keys supported on springs, and the "practice clavier" invented by Virgil of New York in 1883, are the modern representatives of a very old idea. The use of the former has been severely condemned by good musicians; but the 'latter, which possesses a complete key board, is of great use in the practice of a legato touch. The mechanical arrangement affords two audible clicks—one when a key is pressed down and the other when it is released, so that the only observation required of the performer is to note that the two clicks caused by the de pression of one key and the release of the next coincide. The apparatus may be so adjusted that the action can be regulated at will, from the lightest, two ounces, pianoforTe touch, up to a touch exerting a pressure of 20 ounces. Its use is of great advantage in acquiring strength of the fingers and for purely technical exer cises.
The mechanical or automatic piano had its origin in an adaptation of the perforated cards of a Jacquard loom, in which the holes are positioned so as to direct the disposition of the threads in a pattern. The earlier patents for
the use of this principle for playing the keys of a piano were by Seytre of France, Bain of Scotland and Pape of Paris. The principle is applied by means of a continuous roll of stout paper in which are holes or perforations posi tioned so that as the roll is unwound air is permitted to pass through the holes to the tubes indicated, thus being directed to operate the right piano keys at the correct time. Elec tromagnets have also been employed to make the connections between the perforated roll and the keys, but as a rule the modern automatic pianos and player-pianos depend on a bellows pump and the resulting air-pressure or suction to strike the keys and operate the instrument.
The first markedly successful machine in volving this principle was made as an attach ment to a piano and named the "Pianolao (see Fig. 12). This is placed in the front of the piano so that its "pneumatic fingers," usually 65 in number, will strike the keys of that instru ment. It is operated by means of pedals, levers, the tempo regulator, pneumatic action and per forated music rolls. It possesses the great ad vantage in that the player can exercise a cer tain control over expressive interpretation of musical work, by automatically developing the phrasing indicated in the score, •which is to music what punctuation is to literary work. To this capacity is added that of fine dynamic shading and variations in tempo, productive of tone-color and accent. The touch of the pianola is produced by the action of jets of compressed air, which act on the keys of the piano, and is as nearly like that of human fingers as it is possible to obtain by mechanical means. The air being exhausted with greater or less sudden ness furnishes a pliant and resilient quality that affords a range — from the soft velvety legato to a blow as powerful as that exerted by Liszt or Rubinstein. The tempo-indicator is used in accordance with the system of markings on the perforated roll music. so that the piece is played exactly in the time intended by the composer. The time-shading of the various passages being prescribed by the metronome, perfect time is obtained by simply moving the tempo-lever back and forth upon a dial marked from 0 to 130, to accelerate or retard the movement. It is also equipped with a forte-lever, to still further sustain and control expression.