![]() Erard’s action proved to be the best, and is used till today in a modified form. Single and double repetition actions (introduced by various makers) improved the fast repetition of notes in English actions. Hence the action with double escapement patented by Erard in 1821 was so important. A bigger and heavier hammerhead needed a thicker and longer hammer shank, which led to the further increase of the weight of whole action. More conservative Viennese makers covered felt hammer heads with an additional layer of leather, which corresponded with the lighter strings applied by them. ![]() As its technology improved, its use was getting more common, until it prevailed over the other covering types in the second half of the century. In 1826, Henry Pape patented hammer felt and its production in France. With more and more leather layers covering the hammerheads, they could not serve their purpose while striking more tense, thicker strings and string choirs. This type of composite frame was used in the whole Europe till the whole-metal frame spread.Įnlarging the instrument was followed by increasing the strings’ mass, which required increasing the hammers’ and their coverings’ mass. Broadwood patented iron bars combined with a metal string plate (hitch pin plate). From 1820, Stodart applied a compensation frame (invented and patented by his employee Thom and Allen), composed of 13 brass, iron longwise tubes and 4 wooden crossbars. In 1808, Broadwood used metal frame tension bars for trebles. Yet continuous attempts to fit metal braces under the soundboard could not compensate for the strings’ increased tension. There were attempts to replace the instrument’s wooden internal structure with a metal one as well. As early as at the end of the 18 th century, the small metal braces (gap spacers) between the wrest plank and the case’s belly rail appeared. Gradually, the metal gap spacers, frame tension bars and case braces were introduced, which made it possible to increase the strings’ thickness and tension, apply bigger hammers and obtain a more voiced tone. The instrument itself was becoming bigger and more solid. ![]() The imperfections of the 18 th century English action, compared to the Viennese one, forced constructors to look for new solutions. ![]() The English pianos were domains of the British and French makers, joined around 1850 by the Americans and later the Germans. After 1850, when the improved English action and English piano construction prevailed, they became a regional anachronism only. Thanks to their sound (a singing, soft, round tone) and technical distinctiveness (light and shallow touch), Viennese pianos enjoyed popularity until the middle of the century. Yet, as one of the cheapest, Stein’s action was used most often, practically till the end of the 19 th century, and in some firms even till World War I. The latter gained great popularity in the Viennese centre. Streicher in 1823) and single English actions with a single escapement appeared, bringing together elements of the Viennese and English actions (also patented by J. At the same time, down-striking actions (first patented by J. Walter, were introduced, which further unified the Viennese action (see Fig.2). In Stein-Streicher’s and their followers’ actions the metal hammer fork (Kapsel) and the back-check, adopted from A. The action itself underwent only small transformations, yet its size and weight rose gradually, which later resulted in the limitation of its efficiency in fast repetitions. However, comparing to the English pianos, all of these innovations were a dozen or more years late. In 1833, Johann Baptist Streicher patented the compensating frame tubes, and in 1839 Friedrich Foxa – the metal frame. Gradually, its construction was strengthened as a heavier string set was being introduced (compass extension and overspun bass strings – still not very common). The enlarged case measured in the 1820s up to about 250 cm in length and 125 cm in width, but it retained the old lightness of its silhouette. The old keyboard coloring (naturals dark, sharps bright), taken after the harpsichord, was abandoned and the layout used now emerged. The keyboard compass was gradually extended from five to five-and-a-half octaves after 1810, and six and a half after 1820. Their instruments underwent successive transformations, however maintained the constructional and sound characteristics that made them different from pianos made elsewhere. Among a few hundred workshops, concentrated mainly in the Austrian capital, such excellent makers as Anton Walter, Johann Schantz, the Stein-Streicher family, Matthias Müller, Conrad Graf and many others were active. Vienna continued to be a leading piano making center in Europe. The Piano of the First Half of the Nineteenth Century
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