PIANO-FORTE. This musical instrument is variously formed, and receives different designations, such as grand, square, semi grand, cabinet, collage, and piccolo. The first notion of the square piano forte was taken from the clavichord by a German mechanic of the name of Viator, about a hundred years ago ; but, for want of friends or funds, he never became known as a maker. The in vention, however, was followed up by other musical instrument makers of the same nation, who all left their clavichords and harpsichords for the new instrument, the piano-forte. The grand piano-forte is supposed to be of earlier date than the square piano-forte, and is said to have been the invention of a German mu sician of the name of Schroder, or, as others say, of Christofali, a harpsichord-maker of Padua. The first maker at all known in this country was a German of the name of Backers, but we are not aware that success attended his exertions in comparison with the solid ad vantages which were enjoyed by his contem porary, Zumpe, who realised an ample fortune, and retired.
The grand piano-forte retains the shape of the instrument from which it was taken, the harpsichord. Here we have two instruments alike in form, but unlike in almost every other circumstance , for their action, their tones, and the style in which they are played upon, are all entirely different. The action of the harpsi chord was simply a key and what was called a jack, which was a piece of pear-tree with a small moveable tongue of holly, through which a cutting of crow-quill was passed to touch the string when the jack was in action ; the tone produced by this contrivance was a kind of scratch with a sound at the end of it. The action of a grand piano forte consisted of a keg, a lever, a hammer, a button, a check, and a damper, with rails and sockets to connect them. By this combination of parts, every musical effect known or desired at that time was per fectly attainable, and with admirable results by Mozart, Haydn, Cramer, and others. But modern music requires greater powers in the instruments ; and for the last half century, the Broadweods, Erards, Collards, and other celebrated makers, have introduced a SueCal stem of singular and most delicate contrivance; to give all possible perfection to the tons an the means of their prodeetion, The square pianoforte was taken from th clavichord, but it retains only its shape, aid the same disposition of the stains and keys their actions have no similarity. IL may
necessary to state that the ' action' of a piano forte is the technical name for the whole the mechanism which intervenes between tie pressure on the key and the striking of tho string. The action of the clavichord Iva: simply a piece of brass pin-wire, which was placed vertically at a point where it could lot struck or pressed against its proper string the right-hand division of which was free te vibrate, whilst the left-band was muffled by a piece of cloth, the object of which was to damp or stop the string, which it did the instant the finger was taken of the key. The touch of the clavichord was peculiar, partaking both of the harpsichord and the organ; in other words, both struck and pressed, and the pressure could bo so varied as to produce a kind of trernblant effect. The tones were feeble, soft, and me• lancholy, and better suited to the student, the composer, or the solitary, than any purposes of social amusement.
The action of the square piano forte, on its first introduction, consisted of a key, a lifter, a hemmer, and a damper. The key was the same as that of the clavichord. The lifterwas a brass wire, with a piece of hide leather as a head, which was 'covered with a piece of soft leather as a finish. This lifter, 'when in motion, struck the hammer against the string, and thus produced the tone of the instrument,. The damper followed the performer, and stop. ped the vibrations as quickly as the finger was removed from the key. The tone of this piano. forte was thin and wiry, the hammer having only one slight covering of sheep-skin leather upon it. The subsequent improvements in the square plane-forte down to the present day have consisted chiefly in the application sundry mall pieces of mechanism, called the hopper, the ander-hentreer, and the chock, to improve the tone.