Keyboard instrument and in struck ropes.
One believes often, wrongly, that the piano is a direct descendant of the
harpsichord, which it looks like, it is true, as at the level of the silhouette
as of the general mechanism. In fact, the harpsichord, in pinched ropes,
and the piano, in collided ropes, have a common ancestor: the medieval psaltérion.
Of this stringed instrument being pinched with fingers will be born at the
same moment the clavicembalum ( the harpsichord) and the chessboard, from
which goes down(falls) the piano. The chessboard, provided with small hammers,
is mentioned by Guillaume de Machaut from the second half of the XIVesiècle.
This clavichord knows a late evolution and it is necessary to wait for the
XVIIIesiècle to see appearing instruments close to those that we
know today.
The first naming of the piano, pianoforte, comes from the fact which the
sound volume of the instrument can vary according to the intensity of the
striking(typing) on touches, allowing so to play slowly (piano) or (very
strong). The first modern instrument of this type is the work of the Italian
Bartolomeo Cristofori ( 1655-1732 ) which, in 1709 , makes one "! Gravicembalo
collar piano e strong! " Prefiguring the current pianos. Only two Cristofori's
pianos were kept(preserved): the one, dating 1720, is in Metropolitan Museum
of art, in NewYork!; the other one, dating 1726, is exposed(explained) in
a museum of Leipzig, in Germany.
Evolution
Cristofori's mechanism is quickly improved, notably thanks to the works
of the German Gottfried Silbermann ( 1683-1753 ). Not long after, Johann
Andreas Stein ( 1728-1792 ), a factor of Augsbourg's harpsichord, finalizes(works
out) a new system of escape of the hammers which facilitates the execution
of fast details(rooms) and allows to obtain a better sound quality. This
piano "! Viennese! " Knows a fast success: Haydn possesses one
and several Mozart's works of it and thread Bach dedicates him(it) very
fast as an instrument of foreground. Certain number of factors of the centre
of Germany becomes established in London towards 1760 and bases a school
which, under the direction(management) notably of John Broadwood ( 1732-1812
), turns to the manufacture of sturdier pianos, similar to the current pianos.
The French factor Sébastien Érard ( 1752-1831 ) bases in his
turn the French school in the 1790's and creates, in 1823 , the system with
double escape, still used(employed) nowadays. From this time, numerous European
piano makers work on the improvement of the pianoforte. Pianos made in Germany
and in the United States, notably those that take out studios(workshops)
based by Carl Bechstein ( 1826-1900 ) and Steinway and Chickering's American
studios(workshops), are considered for a long time as the most accomplished.
Pianos produced by the Austrian firm Bösendorfer are also highly appreciated.
The area of the first pianos covers only four or five octaves, but it will
increase gradually to reach(affect) more than seven octaves. Nowadays, certain
pianos of the Austrian firm Bösendorfer have a low area which carries(wears)
the keyboard in eight octaves.
Modern structure
The modern pianoforte consists of six parts(parties)
1. The frame is usually in metal. Behind be the ledger of sticks, to whom(which)
are fixed ropes. Tuning pegs are fixed to another placed ledger, him, in
front of the instrument. The extremity of ropes is rolled up around these
chevilliers which one turns to settle(adjust) the tension: more a rope is
tense more the note which it emits(utters) is pointed.
2. Placed under ropes, the sounding board in spruce with fine grain(bead)
enriches the sound by nice vibrations.
3. Ropes are in thread of steel. Their length and their thickness are a
function of the height of the note to which they correspond!; a thick and
long rope gives a grave note. In the pointed register of the instrument,
notes are obtained by the stake in simultaneous vibration of three ropes
granted(tuned) in accord, what strengthens the brilliancy of the stamp.
The most grave notes are produced by more thick, simple ropes, rolled up
in a fine brass thread.
4. Touches, only visible elements of the mechanism, have for function(office)
to propel hammers on ropes. Juxtaposed, they form the keyboard. Touches
corresponding to the natural sounds are ivory or plastic white. Those that
correspond to distorted(altered) tones (sharps and flats) are in ebony or
plastic black. They are moved forwards to reduce the congestion of the keyboard.
5. Pedals are control levers lowered with feet. The sostenuto pedal (or
strong) raises all the dampers so that the struck ropes continue even to
vibrate after touches were loosened. The pedal mute (or una corded) moves
closer to all the hammers of ropes so that the distance of striking(typing)
is decreased in half, or turns slightly hammers on a side to reduce their
contact area with ropes (in the pointed register, hammers do not knock any
more while a single touch, where from the name of una corded. Certain pianos
have a supplementary central pedal prolonging only the already played notes
as one lowers the pedal. Numerous upright pianos are built with a pedal
which, when it is lowered, applies a felt band(strip) between hammers and
ropes so that touches produce only a very weak sound.
6. The shape of the box determines the type of the piano!; one distinguishes
grand pianos, square pianos and upright pianos. Nowadays, the square pianos
went out of use. There are several sizes of grand piano: the smallest is
the toad (hardly 1,5m of length)!; one finds then the quarter - de-queue,
half-tail, three-quarters, the concert piano and the big piano which can
measure near 3m. Upright pianos, intended for the learning and for the coincidental
practice, are provided with ropes arranged upright, mostly crossed. In upright
pianos and toads, the ropes of bass are tightened(stretched out) diagonally
on the shorter ropes of the pointed, what allows to gain(win) of the place
and to obtain an equal tension: the total tension of the ropes of a grand
piano is about 30tonnes!; she(it) is of 14tonnes for an upright piano.
Mechanics
The touches of the piano (to see illustration Mechanism of piano) act as
control levers falling over on a point of pendulum. When the pianist presses
on a touch, the pilot of the touch gets up, activates(sues) the easel which
propels the hammer on the rope and raises in his turn the damper. The extremity
free of the abutment of regulation of the lifting of the touch pulls(entails)
with her(it) the set square of escape and the control lever of rehearsal.
The set square of escape pushes the roller, bourrelet of felt-tip fixed
in sleeve of the hammer. The movement upward the set square of escape stops(arrests)
when its spur arrives in touch with the button buffer of the escape. The
hammer rises and comes to strike the rope. The control lever of rehearsal
also rises but only until the spur of the set square of escape passes in
the fault and gets(touches) the reticule adjusting screw of the height of
the double escape; this control lever remains raised until the touch is
lax.
Then the hammer falls again, but only partially. It(he) is stopped(arrested)
by the roller striking the control lever of rehearsal. The set square of
escape can then return in its original position, under sleeve of the hammer
partially raised. At the same time, against touch prevents the hammer from
bouncing on the rope. If the touch is only partially loosened, the hammer
moves freely on her(it) against touch, and the control lever of rehearsal
remains raised. If the pianist strikes again the lax touch partially, the
set square of escape can again push the roller and the felt-tip of the hammer
upward. This system allows a fast rehearsal of notes before the touch and
the hammer have the time to find their position
When the touch is completely loosened, all the parts(parties) of the mechanism
find their initial position thanks to the force of gravity. Contrary to
grand pianos, upright pianos can not count on the gravity for this return
in initial position. In a grand piano, the mechanism is in the continuation
of the touch, on a horizontal plan; in an upright piano, the mechanism is
adapted so that it is more or less vertical; it(he) is then sailed by suspensions
and by small belts to allow to set(group) to return quickly in initial position.
The big soloists
The piano was always an instrument of virtuosos. Numerous composers, such
Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt, played themselves their compositions.
The end of the XIX-th century dedicated the succession(advent) of concert
performers almost completely devoted to the interpretation, as Anton Rubinstein.
At the same time appeared the first pianists to international career, notably
Ignacy Paderewski and the Americans of Polish origin Josef Hofmann and Arthur
Rubinstein. The most famous pianists of the interwar period are Sergueï
Rachmaninov, Artur Schnabel, the Englishwoman Lady Myra Hess, Walter Gieseking
and the Brazilian Guiomar Novaes. Among the big interpreters of the second
half of the XX-th century, let us quote Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Guilels,
Claudio Arrau, Rudolf Serkin, Vladimir Horowitz, Alicia de Larrocha, Martha
Argerich, Vlado Perlmuter and Murray Perahia. Let us add still Alfred Brendel,
whose learned approach arouses still controversies, and Glenn Gould, whose
recordings of Bach's works inaugurate a new style of interpretation. Today,
with the ceaseless evolution of the technique pianistique, the international
competitions of piano arouse a big interest and allow to discover new talents.