THE ORIGIN OF THE PIANO.

Dunstan Times, Issue 753, 22 September 1876, Page 4

THE ORIGIN OF THE PIANO.

The piano began to make its appearance about the beginning of the eighteenth century. Its invention, like many others, is disputed, and England, Franco, Italy, and Germany claim to have a share in the honor. Pianos were certainly made for the first time in the four countries within a few years of each other; but in Germany alone did they succeed. Silber maim improved upon the invention of Scbroeter, and constructed pianos which met with Bach’s approbation. From this dates the success of the piano in Germany. Frederick the Great had no less than forty of Silbermanu’s pianos in his palace at Berlin ; and when Bach visited him lie insisted upon the old man trying every one. Stein of Augsburg was also a celebrated maker; and Mozart, in one of his letters, describes the care taken by Stein in seasoning Hie wood, which was exposed to all sorts of weather, and afterwards had all the cracks filled up with slips of wood glued into them. In England the piano made no sensible progress until 1760, when twelve German workmen—afterwards called the “ twelve apostles”—arrived in search of employment. Dibdln, at' a concert in 1767, played on the first piano publicly exhibited, and after that the instrument became very popular, and harpsichords more and more in disrepute. Sebastian Erard made a g-eat improvement in the touch ; and Brcadwood, who came to London from Scotland in 1751, introduced what he called his “ grand action,” which removed many defects. From that day until the present the jvauo in England has been improving.