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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
THE REVIEW'S TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT.
Conducted and Edited by Wot. B. White.
[Contributions are Invited for this department from members of the Industry bearing strictly on the practical side
of the craft
Communications must be signed with the name and address of the sender——The editor ac-
cepts no responsibility for the opinions of correspondents.]
It is with some little gratification that we call
the readers' attention to the fact that our recent
remarks about the small grand continue to at-
tract attention and comment. We are in receipt
of several letters from tuners, as well as one or
two that appear to come from salesmen, in which
many interesting and original statements are
made, and many novel ideas on pianoforte con-
struction are brought to light.
The several authors of this mass of correspon-
dence will forgive us if we plead inability to print
all of these productions. It is sheer inability to
devote the required space that deters us, rather
than any disinclination to gratify our readers'
and correspondents' desires.
It seemed well, however, to select at least one
of these letters for comment, and we therefore
commend the reader's attention to the following
from J. G. Cornell, of DelaVan, 111. His letter
appears to us to be most worthy of reproduction
here, on account of its simplicity of struc-
ture and comprehensiveness of content. The
three questions which the gentleman asks are
in themselves food for a treatise. We propose
to answer them in the small space that we can
give on this page, without slurring or under-
estimating their importance, and at the same
time with a recognition of the necessarily brief
and condensed manner in which they must be dis-
cussed:
"Delavan, 111., May 18, 1905.
"Editor Technical Department:
"Dear Sir:—I would like to ask a few questions
that will be ancient history to tuners and mak-
ers, but there are others besides these who read
your department with interest.
"(1) Will the six-foot grand stand in tune
as long as the large upright, and does it require
greater skill to tune it for satisfactory results?
"(2) Will the action of such a grand stand as
much hard usage as that of the upright?
"(3) Is the sounding-board any more liable to
split under adverse conditions?
"A reply, no matter how terse, would be re-
ceived with interest. Respectfully yours,
finely built as to make its standing power truly
wonderful. Of course, it must be remembered
that instruments of this type are nearly always
left to the care of only the best tuners, and more-
over, their makers recognize the necessity of
paying great attention to the building up of the
wrest-plank and the stringing. It happens, there-
fore, that we cannot properly compare this kind
of pianoforte with even the best uprights. The
general method of building concert grands is
such that every theoretical rule for constructional
improvement can be utilized to the best advan-
tage. The string lengths closely approach the
ideal. The sound-board, case, and wrest-plank
are built with a continual view to extraordinary
strength. If, then, we must concede to the con-
cert grand remarkable powers of endurance, it
must be remembered, on the other hand, that ths
instrument itself is exceptional.
with superior skill and care, it becomes certain
that it ought to retain its efficiency for the great-
est possible length of time. When we add to this
the fact that these instruments are more often to
be found in the possession of persons who appre-
ciate the nature and limits of a pianoforte, we
have an additional reason for assuming that the
construction and adjustment of these actions give
them a better chance of survival. Our personal
experience fully bears out these deductions. We
examined the other day an old concert grand
built in New York in 1875. It was originally
used by Theodore Thomas, and was afterwards
bought by a wealthy Pennsylvania oil man, in
whose family it remains to this day. It is only
proper to say that the action and hammers are
in a marvelous state of preservation. The tone
is thin, and the sound-board cracked; but the
touch remains remarkably good and the repeti-
tion is well-nigh perfect. We have never seen
an upright of this age in anything like such a
fine condition. Now, it must be remembered that
there is no difference in the actions of any size
of grand, except in unimportant details. We
may, therefore, safely reason from analogy, and
assume that a well-made small grand has an
equal chance for a similarly long and useful
career, and that its life is likely to be more ex-
tended and the limit of its usefulness more re-
mote than that of the best upright mechanism.
When we turn to the consideration of the Turning to the last question (that of sound-
smaller types of grand, it must be confessed that board strength) we observe one conspicuous fact
our experience has proved a most untrustworthy that must never be neglected in any analysis of
guide. We have continually run across small grand resonance apparatus. The soundboard
grands that stand in tune with the greatest firm- of any grand is much more exposed to the influ-
ness, when properly treated by a good tuner. ences of climate and temperature than is the case
Yet we are bound to affirm that we have seen al- with the upright. The horizontal position of the
most as many others that are unstable to a most resonance table and the adjustable top com-
distressing degree. Of course, much depends bine to make a set of conditions entirely
upon the tuner. An artist will obtain results foreign to the upright, though similar to
that are quite impossible to the indifferent or what was always experienced in the square.
careless man. But this is not to say that greater Undoubtedly the grand sound-board is more
skill, necessarily, is required to tune a grand exposed, and equally incontestably, this ex-
well. All tuning is reducible, very nearly, to an posure has worse effect in proportion to its com-
exact science, and if an instrument is even fairly pleteness and duration. We are therefore justi-
good, the right kind of tuner ought always to be fied in assuming that the construction of any
capable of putting it into absolute tune, other grand is such as to render its sound-board more
conditions, of course, being normal. It may be liable to fracture; and this dictum applies to any
objected that the bearing-bridge construction of size of instrument, being determined by the na-
the average grand renders more difficult the task ture of the type, rather than by its size in any
of setting the pins. Yet we are free to say that particular case. Practical experience only too
a thoroughly well-designed grand of any size is surely bears out this assumption. It is an un-
generally easier to tune than the best upright. fortunate but indubitable fact, then, that the
The scale is likely to be more carefully worked grand sound-board is more liable to be effected
out. This implies more nearly accurate string- by adverse conditions than that of the upright;
lengths and more even tension. There are small and this applies with equal force to the concert
"J. G. CORNELL."
grands that, to us at least, appear so well de- instrument and to the little miniature.
signed and built that tuning them is a pleasure
In spite of the modesty of our correspondent, rather than a drudgery. Others again are full
As we stated in the beginning of this disserta-
who would be content with any kind of a reply, of false tones, uneven in strain, and rough in
we do not intend to let him off so easily. Whether tonal balance. As a" general thing, however, we tion, space forbids a complete and comprehensive
he knows it or not, he has propounded fully believe that a good tuner finds the average treatment of such heavily weighted subjects. Our
what seem, to us, a most interesting and grand easier to tune and susceptible Of better re- correspondent will, however, be able to take the
sensible trio of questions. It is true that sults than the best upright. There are numerous hints that we have given him, and doubtless will
the answers are to a certain extent obvi- exceptions, but the.rule given is good enough as have no difficulty in obtaining a clear view of
ous; it is equally true that they are by no rules go. Of course, we refer here only to good the very interesting matters that he has so op-
means axiomatic. The second and third queries tuners. The other kind cannot .be considered, as portunely brought up for discussion. We thank
might even by some be dismissed as irrelevant they form an inconstant and disturbing factor, him for the opportunity of replying to the most
and unnecessary. But second thoughts, which which makes impossible any accurate deduction concise and simple letter than we have had to
look at for some time.
are often best, bring one to realize that this from premises in which it figures.
course would merely lead us to limit and narrow
Communications for the department should be
our critical point of view. We therefore shall
To sum up, then, we may say that the grand
addressed
to the Editor, Technical Department,
take then up and answer them in their turn.
of any size should stay in tune just as long as, if
The
Music
Trade Review.
not longer than, the upright, and that the good
Experience seems to demonstrate that, caeteris tuner will probably have rather less trouble in
AN ENGLISH VISITOR.
paribus, the grand has no special advantage as doing artistic work upon the former than upon
Mr. Bendall, a piano dealer and prominent or-
regards power of standing in tune. Nor, on the the latter.
ganist and composer in Bath, Eng., has been
other hand, can it be said that the upright par-
The grand action is admittedly superior to all spending some days in New York looking into the
takes of any great inherent superiority over any
other type. In fact, it would appear that, gener- others. The principle of its mechanism is more piano and piano player business. Before he goes
ally speaking, a good instrument will stand well perfect than that of the upright, and more satis- home he will visit Philadelphia, Baltimore, Bos-
in tune, whether it be in the horizontal or vertical factory results can be obtained by the player ton, Cincinnati and Chicago.
form. A grand pianoforte, as such, possesses one who uses an instrument with this action. On
Hazelton Bros., of this city, are almost de-
point in construction that ought, doubtless, to the other hand, while it is perhaps somewhat
ensure greater stability. This feature lies in the more complex, its arrangement does not expose pleted of stock in both grands and uprights, ow-
separation of the wrest-plank from the sound- it to the ravages of time and use to any greater ing to the great demand for these instruments.
board. We say that this ought to give better re- degree than is naturally to be expected from any The past month has been one of the best ever
sults; but experience shows that the superiority pianoforte. When we consider, further, that the experienced in their local trade, and one day re-
is rather theoretical than practical. On the other grand action, as such, and without reference to cently Samuel Hazelton himself sold three small
hand, there does not seem to be much question the size of the instrument in which it is placed, grands and two uprights, which affords an idea
that a concert grand is usually so carefully and is necessarily constructed, adjusted and regulated of the business with this enterprising company.