Harmonichord

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A harmonichord is a piano whose strings are made to vibrate not by a hammer but by indirectly transmitted friction . It has a similar sound to a glass harmonica , but with a larger range. It was constructed around 1809. The Terpodion was constructed similarly, but had no strings.

The instrument is an attempt by the Dresden instrument maker Johann Gottfried Kaufmann and his son Friedrich Kaufmann to combine piano and violin and to solve the problem of the string piano with the help of the chladnian euphon principle. Externally, the instrument has the shape of a giraffe piano . The harmonichord is not to be confused with the French harmonicorde and the piano harmonicorde.

Friedrich Theodor Kaufmann (1823–1872) was the son of Johann Friedrich Kaufmann, who also built music automatons (orchestras).

In 1811 Carl Maria von Weber wrote a concerto with orchestral accompaniment for the harmonichord (Adagio & Rondo in F op. 115).

Structure and functionality

The space under the keys is closed. The essential inner parts are the strings, a long, suede-covered wooden cylinder or cone and wooden sticks.

The wooden cylinder can be set in rotation by a kick. One end of the wooden sticks is pressed against the cone by depressing the keys in such a way that the friction exerted by the rotating cone is transmitted to the strings.

Some chords required so much pressure that the force a person could use was insufficient, so it took two pianists to play the note. This was also the case with the medieval organistrum .

Contemporary reports

A description of a concert given by the Kaufmann family at St Martin's Hall on Saturday June 21, 1851 was published in The Illustrated London News and other reports followed.

Translated quotes:

“His son, Friedrich (1785–1866), quickly made a name for himself. They experimented with mechanical music. In 1805 they built an instrument they called the Belloneon . This had 24 penetrating reeds made of metal and trumpet-like resonators. An accompaniment with two drums. These resounding tongues allowed both loud and soft music passages. The instrument was built into a mahogany wooden case. "

- The Illustrated London News

“Messrs. Kaufmann, Senior and Junior von Dresden exhibited four instruments which together replace an orchestra; they call these instruments belloneon, cordulaudion, automatic trumpeter , harmonichord . The upper part of the belloneon presents a war stanza, in the middle 24 trumpets are placed; Two drums and the associated batons are installed at the bottom. It plays dance music and marches with extraordinary perfection. As it contains wind instruments, it can be compared to Mälzl's Panharmonikon , which was performed some time ago in London and Paris. The Chordulaudion produces together and separately the sound of a pianoforte and four flutes, which intone with such accuracy and precision that the illusion is perfect. The automatons can produce two-part notes. The totally curious instrument is the successor to the harmonichord. The harmonichord looks like an upright wing. The keyboard is four and a half octaves. The friction is triggered by pressing the buttons. Two pedals are used to dampen the sound and to reduce the tempo, and to make the vibrations weaker or stronger. In the hands of Mr. Kaufmann, sweeter tones are produced on it than on the glass harmonica, and on top of that in perfect harmony. "

- American monthly magazine, 1817

“The Kaufmann family traveled again between 1842 and 1844, this time he was accompanied by his son Friedrich Theodore Kaufmann (1823–72). They took five instruments with them on their journey. After a very successful tour, a catastrophe happened. The ship with which they traveled home from Copenhagen got into a storm and they lost all instruments. "

- Barrel organ: the story of the mechanical organ and its repair

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Herder's Conversations Lexicon . Volume 3. Freiburg im Breisgau 1855, p. 229. ( Harmonichord Zeno.org)
  2. ^ “From 1842 to 1844 Frederick Kaufmann, accompanied by his son Frederick Theodore Kaufmann (1823–1872), went on another tour. … ”. In: The Jury , 5, 1851, issue of The Illustrated London News presented this account: “On Saturday the 21st,…” books.google.com
  3. ^ H. Biglow, Orville Luther Holley (ed.): The American monthly magazine and critical review . Volume 1. 1817, p. 383, books.google.com
  4. ^ Barrel organ: the story of the mechanical organ and its repair . Pp. 169, 170.