pianino
Upright piano (Italian for "little piano"; English name "upright piano") is the name for the now generally known upright piano . The term piano is often used restrictively only for the pianino, in contrast to the grand piano .
history
The underlying construction principle of vertically running strings was already used in the 16th century for the clavicytherium and the viol work . Robert Wornum manufactured a cottage piano from 1811 , which developed into the piccolo piano by 1826 . Another forerunner of today's pianino was invented by Ignaz Josef Pleyel in Paris in 1815 and introduced around 1840; it represented a simplified form of the more upright, more magnificent lyre grand piano. With its smaller space requirement compared to the grand piano and the square piano , it permanently conquered its place in the domestic area. The construction of the pianinos replaced the table pianos in Europe as early as around 1850, in the USA by around 1900.
technology
The pianino's soundboard, cast frame, strings and hammer mechanism (stand mechanism ) are perpendicular to the floor so that it can be placed on the wall to save space.
Older pianinos (up to approx. 1910) sometimes have a so-called upper damper mechanism , i.e. H. the dampers sit over the hammers. In today's pianinos, the mutes are usually located below the hammers on the same side of the string system ( lower mute mechanism ).
The pianino usually has a range of 7 ¼ octaves (subcontra A – c5); However, designs with a smaller range also occur. A special form is a pianino with a sub-key mechanism, sometimes also called a yacht piano . It is particularly compact and often only has 6 ½ octaves, occasionally with a foldable keyboard. Such instruments with a height of less than a meter have, as the name suggests, the mechanics under the keyboard. A major disadvantage is the time-consuming maintenance, since the dismantling and reinstallation of the mechanics alone takes much longer than with the usual design.
Sizes and dimensions
Width: 140–155 cm
Depth: 50-60 cm
Height: “Small pianino” up to approx. 110 cm, “Concert pianino” from approx. 130 cm. The classic height of a piano is around 130 cm. Higher instruments have a larger soundboard area and longer bass strings, both of which favor the better sound.
Weight: 175-300 kg
Individual evidence
- ↑ Crombie 1995, p. 105
- ↑ Crombie 1995, p. 49
- ↑ See Herbert Junghanns, Hans Kurt Herzog: Der Piano- und Flügelbau , Verlag E. Bochinsky / Das Musikinstrument, 1984
literature
- David Crombie: Piano. Evolution, design and performance . London 1995, ISBN 1-871547-99-7 .
- John Bishop, Graham Barker: Piano Myth & Technique . PPVMedien, 2017. ISBN 978-3-95512-134-1 .
- Klaus Wolters: The piano, an introduction to the history and construction of the instrument and the history of piano playing . 3. Edition. Hallwag AG, Bern 1975, ISBN 3-444-10087-6 .