Square piano
The square piano is a type of
In London, the explosion of the trade is generally attributed to the maker Zumpe. The overwhelming popularity of his instruments was due to inexpensive construction and price.
Over time, square pianos were built in larger sizes with more keys and a wider range; by the 1830s, square grand pianos predominated, with changes to their internal mechanisms and construction that produced larger sounds and used higher string tensions. Square pianos were the most popular keyboard instrument of the late 18th century, and the later square grand pianos enjoyed great popularity through the mid- and late-19th century. They were gradually replaced by upright pianos, which had a smaller footprint and larger sound. Square pianos were owned by everyone from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to Marie Antoinette[2] and Jane Austen.[3]
In the 1860s, more extensive metal frames were developed for square
Gallery
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Square grand piano (though this example is not exactly rectangular)
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Square grand piano with open lid
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Swedish painting of woman playing a square piano.
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English double action with check, c. 1830 (developed from Geib, 1786
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American single action with overdamper, c. 1870 (developed from Petzold, 1809)
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Zumpe single action, 1766
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Erard double pilot action, 1790 "Zumpe's second action" c. 1788
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Square piano C. Oehler Stuttgart, 1870s
See also
- Finchcocks, a collection of early keyboard instruments in Kent which has many original square pianos.
References
- ISBN 9781922144645.
- ^ "Marie Antoinette's Piano". The Cobbe Collection. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ Boyle, Laura. "Jane Austen's Piano". Jane Austen World. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ISBN 9781922144645.
- Goold, Madeline, Mr. Langshaw's Square Piano, BlueBridge, 280 pages