FACTS ABOUT THE PIANO.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3777, 12 March 1913, Page 7

FACTS ABOUT THE PIANO.

Have you ever thought, when playing some melodious sonata upon your piano, that the instrument, as it is to-day, is the perfection of centuries of invention?

In the 'beginning it was a harp-shap-ed piece of wood, having two or three strings. From time to time more strings were added, until the cithara was invented. This was an instrument in the shape of a capital “P,” with 10 strings stretched across the open space. Many centuries afterwards musicians conceived the idea of stretching strings across an open box. About the year 1200 this was done; the dulcimer made its appearance, and the strings were struck with hammers. For another hundred years or so these hammers were held in the hands and then some genius invented a keyboard, which, being struck by the fingers, caused the hammers to strike the strings. This was called a clavicythcrium, or keyed cithara-, and from time time it was modified and improved. During Queen Elizabeth’s time it was called a virginal, and then a spinet, because- the hammers were covered witli Jin spines of quills, which struck the strings and produced the sound. During the period between 1700 and 1800 it was much improved and enlarged, and was ' given the name of harpsichord. It was in 1710 that Bartliolomeo €hristofoll ? x. an Italian, invented a keyboard similar to the one we have now, which causes the hammers to strike the wires from' above, and thus developed the piano; During the last century the inventive genius of musicians the. world over has-revised and improved it until it has reached the present-day perfection.