MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS— THE PIANO-FORTE. 479 



I. The Clavichord I 



^>^=^: 

 R?? 



ers, the inventor of the "English grand action/" and died very 

 wealthy. Stodart also contributed many important improve- 

 ments to the grand. He was followed by his sons, who main- 

 tained an excellent record as piano-makers up to recent years. 



Sebastian Erard, the founder of the well - known house of 

 Erard, became a leading maker in France toward the end of the 

 last century. He was another important figure in relation to 

 improvements in the grand piano, and also the harp. He was fol- 

 lowed by his son Pierre, who became equally famous, 



Clementi, the celebrated pianist, a Roman, began business 

 in London in 1800 in partnership with Frederick W. Collard, the 

 latter being the practical partner, and out of this firm the emi- 

 nent house of Collard & Collard, at present known through Great 

 Britain and Ireland as manufacturers, came. The first Collard 

 was in his time also a great inventor. 



Pleyel, Pape, and other French makers appeared soon after the 

 beginning of the century and became famous in Europe as im- 

 provers. Many other makers of 



distinction are known in relation j 



to early piano-making in Germany > .»^-,»^?:?r3- ::-„..,fk 



and elsewhere, but detailed refer- 

 ence to them is impossible here. 



John Broadwood introduced an 

 important improvement in the con- 

 struction of the square piano in 

 1783, by altering the position of 

 the tuning-pin block — known tech- 

 nically as the " wrest - plank " — 

 from the front of the instrument 

 to the back, a system which has 

 since then been maintained. He 

 also made some valuable improve- 

 ments in the construction and po- 

 sition of the sounding-board. 



John Geib, a German piano- 

 maker, patented and introduced 

 the first " square action " of value 



in 178G. This became known as the " grasshopper " action, and 

 held a leading place in England and in this country up to 1840. 

 He also introduced the bufi^ stop. Members of the Geib family 

 were among the pioneer piano and organ builders in New York. 



The square piano, which held a favorite place in the United 

 States up to within the past five years, owing to the fact that it 

 was brought to a high point of perfection here, was very popu- 

 lar in Europe as a household instrument up to 1807, when the 

 " cabinet " upright took its place. William Southwell, of Dublin, 



4. Croadwood's Grand actioD. 



Fig. 8. — Illustrating the Partial De- 

 velopment OF THE Piano Action. 



