18
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
THE CENTENARY OF ERARES'.
TOWARDS the latter part of last month, says the London
and Provincial Music Trades Review, the house of
Erards celebrated the centenary of their foundation. Ow-
ing to the recent death of M. Blondel, the Paris manager
of the firm, there were no festivities. But Madame Erard
marked the event by an act of regal generosity, distribut-
ing 60,000 francs, or 2,40:/,, among her workmen and
employes, in proportions varying according to the period
each one had been in her employment.
Sebastian Erhadt, the founder of the firm, was born at
Strasburg, April 5, 1752, the eldest of four children of an
upholsterer in that city. He was originally apprenliced
to a draughtsman, and it is narrated that he ascribed much
of the success which attended him in after life to his theo-
retical knowledge of drawing and of the principles oi me-
chanics. His father died poor, and Sebastian, at the age
of sixteen, was thrown upon his own resources. He
tramped to Paris, and entered the employment of a harp-
sichord maker there. He was a persevering young man,
but it is narrated of him that " he was too inquisitive, and
wanted to know too much." However, his employer
having received an order for a harpsichord, and being un-
able to execute it himself, entrusted it to young Erhadt,
and when it was finished he, afier the fashion too often
adopted by eminent and other pianoforte manufacturers of
the present day, affixed his own name to it. Questions,
however, arose as to the mechanism, which the bogus
maker was unable to explain, and the fact that the real
maker was Sebastian Erhadt was disclosed.
The celebrity of the mechanical harpsichord soon ran
around the fashionable world of Paris, and young Sebas-
tian, then 25 years of age, attracted the notice of
the Duchess of Villeroi. The lady herself had some
originality of invention, and she established for Erhadt,
whose name was forthwith Gallicised to Erard, a factory
in her chateau. It was here that Erard manufactured the
first pianoforte ever made in France, it being, according to
Fetis, a square, with two unisons and five octaves, upon
the plan of the pianofortes which had been imported from
England and Germany. This was in 1777, and from it
the celebrity of Erard may lie said to date. His orders
for pianos largely increasing, he sent to Strasburg for his
brother Jean Baptiste, and the two, in July, 1780, estab-
lished in the Rue de Bourbon, in the Faubourg St. Ger-
main, the factory which so©n became one of the most
celebrated in Europe. It was the centenary of this estab-
lishment that was observed last month.
Sebastian Erard now busied himself with new inven-
tions, and among other things he devised for the voice of
the queen, which was of such limited compass that almost
every piece was too high for her, a movable key-board.
Some writers aver that the movable key-board was old
even at that time (1787), but it is almost identical with
other inventions of a similiar sort which have been patented
«ven during later years. The idea was simply to change
the position of the key-board so that the hammers might
strike a higher or lower string, thus transposing " a semi-
tone, a whole tone, or even a minor third." For eleven
years the factory of Erards flourished in Paris, until the
revolution broke out. The Erards was forced to flee to
England, and in 1793 they established their London
factory. On October 17th, 1794, Sebastian Erard took
out his first English patent, entitled " Two methods for
the escapement of the hammer and an arrangement for
striking one two or three strings at pleasure by a side
movement of the damper rail. Harmonic octave produced
by mechanism which pressed on the string exactly in the
centre." At that time, although the pianoforte was known
to have been used at a concert by Dibdin as far back as
1767 (the concert programme, being now framed, is in
the office of Messrs. John Broadwood & Sons), it was
really in its infancy. Backers, Broadwood, and Stodart
were then the great pioneers of pianoforte manufacture,
for although the firm of Kirkman was in existence long
prior, its industry was exclusively confined to the manu
facture of harpsichords. In 1796, after the Reign of
Terror, Erard returned to Paris, continuing, however, his
London factory. In that year he made his first grand
horizontal piano on the English model, which, according
to Fetis, he continued using till r8o8. He had in the
meantime, in 1801, patented in London an invention " t o
render the touch either hard or soft to any degree, at the
election of the player."
In 1808 Sebastian Erard finally discarded the English
action, and on September 14th of that year he patented the
first ideas of his famous repetition action. It is the fourth arti-
cle of the patent (the previous articles relating to stopping the
piano strings so as to give a semitone above, and to harp im-
provements), and it runs as follows :—"In the piano an
improvement is introduced into the movement in connec-
tion with the hammer rail, which affords the power of
giving repeated strokes without missing or failure, by
very small angular motions of the key itself." The spe-
cification with drawings is printed, and it may also be
found in the seventh of the Rolls Chapel Reports. In
an article in the Dictionary of Musicians, Mr. A. J.
Hipkins refers to a patent for the repetition grand piano
action, taken out by Sebastian Erard in 1809, but no such
patent is in the records of our Patent Office. Mr. Hip
kins further states that a feature of this 1809 patent was
•the inverted bridge or upward bearing at the wrest-plank
bridge of the piano, since invariably adopted. But as we
can find no record of the facts, we must leave the respon-
sibility of the statement to Mr. Hipkins. It is very cer-
tain, however, that the invention of the repetition action
had occupied Sebastian Erard from the time that Louis
XVI. conferred the brevet upon his firm to the date of the
actual fruition of his ideas. Sebastian, however, well
nigh seventy years of age, felt himself too old to carry his
invention out, and he confided it to his nephew Pierre,
the son of his brother, Jean Baptiste Erard. Pierre Erard
September 5th, 1880
NOVELLO & Co.—Messrs. Novello & Co., London, are
was born in 1796, and at the age of 25, in 1821, he de-
scribing himself as of "Great Marlborough street, musi- preparing for publication editions of the full scores of
cal instrument maker," took out the celebrated repetition Spohr's "Last Judgment" and Handel's "Acis and
action patent, dated December 22d of that year. The Galatea," the last-named work with Mozart's accompani-
preamble of the patent declares that Pierre Erard, " i n ments.
consequence of communications made to him by a certain
VIOLIN FITTINGS.—Messrs. J. P. Guivier & Co. have
foreigner residing abroad, is in possession of an invention
of 'Improvements in pianofortes and other keyed ins ru- removed the London agency of Messrs. Goumas & Co.
ments,' namely, a new and improved application of to 39 Warwick street, their new address. Messrs. Guivier
mechanism to the escapement." The patent is briefly have issued a new price list of their violin and other
strings and fittings, of Italian, French and German
described in the official abridgments as follows :—
" The present invention introduces four improvements, manufacture, and which they claim they supply at 30 per
which require simply the depression of the key. (1) A cent, cheaper than any other house in the trade.
spring so contrived thnt its strength is made to sup-
port the weight of the hammer after it has made its blow
" Kunkel's Musical Review."
and has escaped from its support upon the sticker. (2) A
Every number gives a selection
contact is brought about between the hammer, near the
of choice vocal and instrumen-
tal music, which is accom-
centre upon which it moves, and the spring or lever con-
by lessons from the most eminent artists and teachers
nected and supported by such spring, in order to prepare panied
indicating how it should be practised and
and executed,
executed, the
the whole
whole
the fall of the hammer when its escapment takes place. representing a VALUE of $6.50. iractiseel
i
(3) A lever, by moving cm its centre, effects the escape- Send us a 3-cent stamp, to pre
ment of the sticker from under the hammer. (4) A piece pay postage; we will mail
a copy of the REVIEW.
so contrived with an adjusting screw as to catch the ham- in return
K U N K E L B R O T H E R S , S t . L o u i s , Alo.
mer in its fall, and to stop or hold it as long as the key is
kept entirely down, so as to prevent the possibility of its
For Piano and Organ Players.
rebounding to the wires again, while it releases it again
with the smallest rise of the finger end of the key."
This practically ended the connection of Sebastian Erard
with the firm which he had founded. The labor of his
early years told upon even a robust constitution, and after
suffering many years from disease, he died at his chateau,
By THEODOR WOLFRAM.
La Muette, near Passy, August 5th, 1831. His funeral
was a grand one, attended by most of the leading artists
Bound in Cloth, 60 cents.
of Paris.
M. Pierre Erard now took up the active direction of the TH. WOLFBAM, Mansfield, 0. PISCSEB ft BSO., 226 E. 1th St., N. T
" It contains the whole theory of musical modulation in a nut-
business, and he proved himself as prolific in invention as shell,
is intended for pianists and organists, and teaches them to
his uncle before him. Following rapidly upon the inven- modulate eaaily and gracefully from any one key to any other, in
tion of the repetition action in 1821, M. Pierre Erard, on a short time."—Perm. Republican.
January 5, 1825, patented the system of fixed metal brac-
ing, which was widely adopted, and is even used in our
days. This invention (emanating originally from Sebast-
ian Erard) also included a new contrivance for the check.
In February, 1827, a further patent, also the idea of Se-
(ESTABLISHED 1836)
bastian Erard, and improving the action and the check
with a new method of hinging the hammer, was granted,
while in 1835 the repetition action patent of 1821 was ex-
tended for seven years, on the ground of the great utility
of the patent and of the losses at first sustained in working
Lowest Prices Consistent with
it. In September, 1840, M. Pierre Erard took out his
Greatest Excellence.
first original patent of a new action for oblique pianofortes,
the patent also including a ball and socket centre of mo-
tion for the finger key and a X stand to obtain equal sup-
319 & 320 East 39th St.
port for all the four feet of horizontal pianos. The last
4ireut Britain mid her Colonies
two points of the invention have, we believe, since been Mow to trnde with
and Dependencies.
abandoned. Another patent was granted to M. Pierre
ADVERTISE IN THE
Erard in September, 1850, the ideas including the appli-
cation of wood to metal instead of metal to wood, a tuning
screw for each wire, new pedal keys, and especially a
The largest, oldest, best and most trustworthy, and the repre-
wrest plank wholly of metal. Another patent was taken sentative organ of the Music Trade in London and Provincial
of Great Britain. Large and influential circulation. Write
out in November, 1851, by which the strings were laid on Towns
or against the sound board instead of on the bridge of the for scale and charges to
& NEPHEW,
sound board, the idea proposing to obviate the pressure 14 G e o r g e S t r e REED
e t , M a n s i o n H o u s e , L o n d o n , El. C.
which tends to press away the sound board.
M. Pierre Erard died at Passy in 1855, and the impor-
tant business has since been carried on by his widow,
Manufacturer of First-class
Madame Erard, assisted by a competent London and Paris
staff. In February, 1862, Mr. E. G. Bruzaud, the mana-
ger of the London house, patented a contrivance by which
Store Stools, Music Racks and Stands. Manu-
facturer of Flannel and dealer in Embroidered
two dampers were used for each note.
and Rubber Piano Covers. Prices reasonable.
It may be mentioned that the invention in 1838 of the
harmonic bar is claimed for M. Pierre Erard by Dr. Oscar
Warerocms, 390 Canal St., N. Y.
Paul in the Geschichte des Claviers, published in Leipzig
in 1688.
The house of Erard has also always been celebrated for
its harps. The first patent was taken out as far back as
October, 1794, the invention relating to the formation of
semitones. Another patent was taken out in June, 1801,
for the invention of a lever "for altering the tone and
13 UNIVERSITY PLACE,
pitch of all the chords or strings of the same denomination,
NEW YORK.
either flat, sharp, or natural, at pleasure." Harp patents
were also taken out by Sebastian Erard in 1802, 1808 The MUNROE ORGAN REED CO.,
Established January 1st. 18G9.
(damping), 1810 (^the perfection of the celebrated double
FIFTEEN MILLION OF Ol'Il BKKUS NOW IN USE.
action), and by Pierre Erard in 1822 and 1835. Patents
Having recently occupied our nevv factory, we would respect-
have also been taken out by Erards for increasing the fully state to our former patrons and to the trade generally, that
length of the neck of the harp ; for an index, showing if our extensive facilities and improved methods warrant us in say-
that we are prepared to supply the demands of the trade in
any string is sharp, flat, or natural; for lengthening the ing
the most perfect manner, both as regards Quality and Price.
sound board, opening and shutting the swell, stopping the REED BOARDS of any desired plan made to order trom carefully
vibration of the strings, tuning, harps which stand either selected stock. We also manufacture the best and cheapest
OCTAVE COUPLER in the market, and we constantly keep on
inclined or upright, and wrest pins for harps.
hand full lines of ORGAN MATERIALS, including Stop-Knobs,
Free of
Charge
PRACTICAL MODULATOR,
Or, How to Modulate from one Key to any other,
Jardine&Son,
ORGAN BUILDERS
London Musical Opinion and Music Trade Review,
T. 1TEFFERT,
CRANE & CHAPUIS,
Manufacturers of Piano Felts,
PIANO MUSIC.
Key-Boards, (both celluloid and ivory), Felts, etc., etc.
Office and Factory: 25 UNION STEEET, Worcester, Mass.
O H ! hark to the strains of the jingling piano
That float like the wails of a gathering storm—
Tinkle, ting, ting, from eight in the evening;
Rumble, dum, dump, till past two in the morn.
Arpeggios, staccato, andante, tranquillo,
Con dolore, allegro, nixcumarouse—
All of it fruit of the manipulation
Of a music-struck miss in a neighboring house.
I idolize music from bass-drums to bagpipes;
I drink in the strains of Apollo's sweet song;
I worship Rossini, Beethoven, and Verdi;
For Auber and Weber I painfully long;
But hear her maniacal interpretation—
Dingle, dink, pinkie, pink, grumble, grum, grump,
Exquisite torture of auriculation—
Toopey toop, pookey pook, plunkey plung, plum.
HIS is an age of progression. New ideas are being developed
in every direction. We have now been in the business of
manufacturing organs for fourteen years, and are confident that
we can make an organ that will satisfy all who choose to give us
their patronage.
Our place is and has been to manufacture tor the trade exclu-
sively and to stencil them with the name of our customers. The
money expended by a dealer in advertising another man's organ
profits the manufacturer more than the advertiser. Newspaper
advertisements circulate through thousands of hands outside of
the dealer's territory, the benefits of such advertisements beyond
the agent's narrow limits accrue to tho manufacturer, or some
other agent, but by adopting our plan as suggested above an
agent's territory in which he sells organs will be unlimited. And
he will derive all the benefits arising from his own advertisements.
Organ cases finished and ready for the action furnished to man-
ufaciurers if desired. For particulars and catalogue address,
D Y E R
EXHIBITION.—An Industrial Exhibition will be held
this month at the Alexandra Palace, London. There is
a section for musical instruments made by bona jide
working men.
Square and Upright Pianofortes,
T
WILLIAM
Li. Y O U N G ,
MANUFACTURER OF
FACTORY,
393 East Fourth St., and 171, 173 A 175 Lewis St.,
Office & Warerooms, 173 Lewis Street,
'
NEW I0SI.