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EFFECTS OF CLIMATE, It having been long a desideratum that some principle
should be applied to Musical Instruments to prevent the rapid
destruction produced on them by hot and damp Climates, CLEMENTI & Co.
26, CHEAPSIDE, LONDON. Beg leave to inform Merchants
and Families about to reside in the East or West Indies, that they have at
length brought to perfection an invention by J. Donnithorne, Esq. a
scientific English gentleman of Furrukabad, in Hindoostan, for the structure
of Horizontal Grant Piano-Fortes - (as well those with the common extra keys
as those of their late improvements with additional keys to FF) by which
they are scarcely more affected in those climates, than Instruments of the
usual construction are in the most temperate regions.
The caution universally observed in the East Indies, of
keeping the instrument considerably below the proper pitch, needs no longer
to be resorted to; for the Piano Fortes, as now constructed by Clementi and
Co. on Mr. Donnithorne's plan, may be kept even above Concert pitch without
the least risk of endangering their excellence or durability.
By this invention, the Case is effectually prevented from
warping; the instrument will keep in tune much longer; retain its original
brilliancy of tone; and be in a state of high preservation, when those of
the usual structure are no longer deemed fit for use. Liberal Allowance to
Merchants. GRAND AND SQUARE PIANO-FORTES, Thus Improved, Are now open for
Inspection at CLEMENTI and Co.'s Wholesale and Retail Warehouse, No. 26,
Cheapside.
CLEMENTI & Co. PATENT PIANO FORTE MAKERS TO THE KING,
AND, Musical Instrument Makers to the Hon. East India Compagny, 26,
CHEAPSIDE, LONDON, the suggestion of certain eminent musicians, a celebrated
mathematician was induced some years since to direct his attention to the
enriching of the tone of piano fortes by the aid of harmonics; but his
designs were never carried into effect, from the great expence which would
have attended their execution.
CLEMENTI and CO. have, however, the satisfaction, to
announce to the public, that by their present patent invention, they have
been enabled to obtain this desirable improvement, at the addition of a
comparatively trilling cost.
By «the bridge of Reverberation», the strings have the
effect of being fixed, like those of a harp, to the sound-board itself,
instead of being checked by an immediate attachment to a solid substance.
This contrivance not only produces a more equal and rich
flow of vibration, but takes away the whistling of the large steel strings
so common and often so disagreeable in grand piano fortes on the usual
construction.
It also gives the great advantage of turning ail those
portions of the strings beyond the original bridge, which were before
useless, to the augmentation and perfection of the tone produced on the main
body of the instrument, by means of the Harmonic Swell.
In expressive movements and legato passages the addition
of the harmonics, independent of the beauty of sound, procures an advantage
which must be obvious to every one, since it effects that continuity of
vibration which, somewhat like the bow of a violin, makes one note glide
into another; and as this effect is produced without at all interfering with
the dampers, the bass may be played staccato whilst the treble is played
legato, and vice versa.
The whole volume of tone called forth by the harmonic
swell and damper pedal combined, is of extraordinary richness and power; and
in passages requiring bold contrast, dramatic energy, or sustained grandeur,
will be found of singular efficacy.
The great improvement given by this new construction also
to the extra additional keys in the treble, must be considered very
important, since all the great Continental composers and performers now
employ them so very frequently in passages of brilliant effect; and since
they are found so highly useful not only for duets by two persons on the
same instrument, but for giving the master an opportunity of marking the
character of passages above, whilst the scholar is practising them in the
octave below.
The additional pedal for fixing the keys on two strings
will be found very convenient, as it leaves the feet to be employed on the
harmonic swell and damper pedal during a delicate strain, or for the purpose
of accompaniment.
The simple principle on which the improved grand piano
forte cases are constructed is of such efficacy as to resist an immensely
greater force than the most extensive compass of string can possibly
produce. The advantage of this in keeping the instrument in tune and
counteracting the effects of climate are sufficiently obvious.
CLEMENTI and CO. are happy in being able to produce so
powerful a testimony in favour of their improvements, as the following
extract from «The Quarterly Musical Review», a work so widely circulated and
so well known for the acumen of its musical criticism, its profound and
extensive information, and the liberal and philosophical spirit with which
it is conducted. M A Patent (for the United Kingdom) for
improvements on piano fortes has been recently obtained by Mr. W. F.
Collard, of the house of Clementi, Collard, and Co. London.
From the long and deep attention there has been bestowed
on the structure of piano fortes, and the eminent success with which every
hint for their improvement has been pursued, we were not prepared to expect
any invention that might add to the general powers of the instrument,
although among the prodigious assistances mechanics are able to lend to art,
we should not have doubted that there might be yet some particular parts
susceptible of a superior construction.— The object of Mr.
Collard's invention is however general, and it imparts not only a new and
richer degree of tone, but it submits a choice of fresh varieties and
degrees to the player, which can hardly fail to call forth novel and
beautiful effects in performance. Freedom of vibration,
power, richness and equality of tone, being the great and essential
qualities to be desired in piano fortes, the attention of the Patentee
appears to have been directed generally to the discovery of some principle
by which these requisites could be obtained in a higher degree than by the
plan hitherto employed in their construction.
The mechanism used having been already brought to a very
high degree of excellence, it seemed manifest that if the qualities sought
after could at all be produced to the extent desired, they must either
result from a new construction of the sound-board, or from the mode of
applying the strings, or from both means combined. The
variety of effect being noticed in other places, may for brevity sake be
omitted here. The mechanism of each description of piano
fortes now commonly in use he leaves nearly in the same state as that
employed by the most eminent manufatv turers, so that the performer has no
new difficulties whatever to encounter from the application of Mr. Collard's
inventions. The cases or frame-work of grand piano fortes
he constructs on a simple principle, of so great strength as to enable
them,to resist the effects of climate and a far greater power than the
combined pull of the strings produce. The improvement that is the basis on
which the other is founded, is an additional bridge on the sound-board, not
for the purpose of regulating musical intervals, but of augmenting the
duration of the vibration, and consequently increasing and beautifying the
tone.
This bridge, which he calls the bridge of reverberation,'
is placed at a regulated distance on the sound-board; and the important
advantage resulting from it is, that the motion given to the principal part
of the string by the impulse of the hammer, is kept up by the bridge of
reverberation, instead of being suddenly checked by an attachment to an
unyielding substance.
The prolonged vibration produces an extraordinary
purity, power, and continuity of sound somewhat resembling the richness of
an octave below. —
On the old plan of passing the strings directly from the side of the case
to the original bridge on the sound board, it became necessary, in order to
prevent the jarring noise of those portions of the wire which lie between
them, not only to place some soft substance on the top of the moulding, but
also to weave a piece of cloth between the strings. The
second improvement, which the Patentee calls the Harmonic swell, substitutes
a novel action for those portions of the string which lie between the two
bridges, yielding most sweet and melodious tones. The performer, by lifting
a valve, is enabled to elicit those harmonious sounds through a well-known
sympathetic relation between accordant strings, without touching those
portions of the strings which produce them.
The augmentation of sound caused by this means, resembles
in some measure the effect of lifting the dampers, but without producing the
same confusion, since every note on the body of the instrument is regularly
damped as the performer lifts his finger. By this apparatus a threefold
power of augmenting the sound is acquired; whereas instruments of the common
construction have but the one caused by lifting the dampers.
The first augmentation of power is by lifting the harmonic swell.
The second — by dropping the harmonic swell and raising the dampers.
The third — by raising the harmonic swell and the dampers together. By the
last means the performer adds all the tones which are sympathetically
elicited from the strings between the original bridge and bridge of
reverberation, over and above all that can be produced on instruments of the
common construction, and the effect is accordingly of extraordinary richness
and power. These inventions are alike applicable to
upright, cabinet, and square piano fortes; the latter of which acquire by
this new mode of construction much of the richness and depth of tone
peculiar to grand instruments. The improvements, as
simple in themselves as their effects are striking, enable the player
greatly to extend the variety of his performance, and are acknowledged by
the first professional judges to have given a new character to the
instrument of the most effective kind.
That which we heard appeared to us to produce the kind of
prolonged tone which arises in a room of fine resonance, and the power was
certainly vastly augmented.
Upon the whole, the inventor seems to have
accomplished far more than could have been expected, after the very high
state of improvement the piano forte had already attained." Quarterly
Musical Review, No. XL."
An Appendix to the Catalogue of 1816 published by
Clementi & Co Manufactures, 1816-18, p. 18-21 and
Imperial Patent Grand and Square Piano Fortes, with
Newly-invented Harmonic, 1830, p. 1-3
1830
This contrivance not only produces a more equal and rich flow
of vibration, but takes away the whistling of the large steel strings so
common and often so disagreeable in grand piano fortes on the usual
construction. It also gives the great advantage of turning all those
portions of the strings beyond the original bridge, which were before
useless, to the augmentation and perfection of the tone produced on the main
body of the instru ment, by means of the «HARMONIC SWELL».
The whole volume of tone called forth by the harmonic swell
and damper pedal combined, is of extraordinary richness and power; and in
passages requiring bold contrast, dramatic energy, or sustained The object of MR. COLLARD'S invention is however general, and it imparts not only a new and richer degree of tone, but it submits a choice of fresh varieties and degrees to the player, which can hardly fail to call forth novel and beautiful effects in performance. Freedom of vibration, power, richness, and equality of tone, being the great and essential qualities to be desired in piano fortes, the attention of the Patentee appears to have been directed generally to the discovery of some principle by which these requisites could be obtained in a higher degree than by the plan hitherto employed in their construction.
The mechanism used having been already brought to a very high
degree of excellence, it seemed manifest that if the qualities sought after
could at all be produced to the extent desired, they must either result from
a new construction of the sound-board, or from the mode of applying the
strings, or from both means combined. The variety of effect being noticed in
other places, may for brevity's sake be omitted here.
The improvement that is the basis on which the other is
founded, is an additional bridge on the sound-board, not for the purpose of
regulating musical intervals, but of augmenting the duration of the
vibration, and consequently increasing and beautifying the This bridge,
which he calls the Bridge of Reverberation,' is placed at a regulated
distance on the sound-board; and the important advantage resulting The performer, by lifting a valve, is enabled to elicit those harmonious sounds through a well-known sympathetic relation between accordant strings, without touching those portions of the strings which produce them.
The augmentation of sound caused by this means, resembles in
some measure the effect of lifting the dampers, but without producing the
same confusion, since every note on the body of the instrument is regularly
damped as the performer lifts his finger. By this apparatus a threefold
power of augmenting the sound is acquired; whereas instruments of the common
construction have but the one caused by lifting the dampers.
That which we heard appeared to us to produce the kind of
prolonged tone which arises in a room of fine resonance, and the power was
certainly vastly augmented. Upon the whole, the inventor seems to have
accomplished far more than could have been expected, after the very high
state of improvement the piano forte had already attained."
Imperial Patent Grand and Square Piano Fortes, with Newly-invented Harmonic
..., 1830, p. 3-4
CLEMENTI
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