Tangent piano

Tangent piano or tangent wings are an intermediate form of the clavichord, harpsichord and fortepiano. With a keystroke, a wooden stick with a leather head from the bottom is struck against the string, a second rod dampens the string again. Tangent wing were built in the late 18th century.

History

Franz Jacob Späth (1714-1786) had, according to Ernst Ludwig Gerber: "New Historical and Biographical Dictionary of Musicians " ( Leipzig 1813 /14) in 1751, a mechanism for a fortepiano invented, in which the sound is not as in the pianoforte by a hammer is generated, but by a Holzleistchen, called the tangent, which is spun by pressing against the string. This mechanism developed Späth to 1770 and further expanded together with Christoph Friedrich Schmahl ( 1739-1814 ) in Regensburg such instruments. The name of this concept as a tangent wing is first detected in 1791. Previously, he was the same as the fortepiano referred to simply as fortepiano or pianoforte.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote in a letter dated October 17, 1777: "Before I have not seen the stone of his work something that the late- matic Clavier were my favorite ." The question of whether Mozart has just meant by the " late matic Clavier " tangent wing, in our view, can be answered with high probability in the affirmative.

Worldwide, there are still around 20 tangent wing. 2006 was discovered in Sulzbach -Rosenberg in the estate of Johann Esaias Seidel a tangent wing in original condition. It was introduced in 2012 after extensive restoration by Christoph Hammer and Sylvia Ackermann in a concert to the public.

Construction

The tangent wings is the head of the tangent strikes the string, unbeledertes and unbefilztes wood. The sound is sharp, rather similar to harpsichords, but just " with forte and piano", with dynamic gradation. By moderator features of this sound can be changed ( in which, for example, a felt between string and tangent is pushed, causing the sound then so is how we associate with it today with hammer wings ). In the early pianofortes German (and later Vienna ) Type of the hammer heads were also initially unbeledert, yes occasionally even with ivory to wear reinforced ( eg the pyramid wing of Christian Ernst Friederici 1745 ). It was not until 1783 began Johann Andreas Stein, incorporate leather-covered hammers.

By pressing the button (A) to its rear end lifts with the Pilote (B). The capstan pushes the driver ( C) up, which in turn throws the legislation at a rake tangent ( D) against the string (E). At the same time, the damper (F ) lifts, so the string can vibrate freely.

Swell

  • Heinrich Herrmann: The Regensburg Klavierbauer Spath and Schmahl and their tangent wing, Erlangen: Karl Döres 1928.
  • Michael Latcham: Franz Jakob Spath and the tangent wing, at Eighteenth - Century tradition, Galpin Society Journal 2004, Article LVII, p 150
  • Siegbert Rampe: Mozart's keyboard music - world of sound and performance practice, Kassel, Basel, London, New York, Prague: Barenreiter 1995
  • Ernst Ludwig Gerber: New Historical and Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Leipzig 1813/14
  • Gall (ed.): could agree Clavier - vocal book or clear statement as any music lover his Clavier - wing, fortepiano and wing fortepiano, re-pair, and the best possible way, get well, Vienna 1805 (Reprint bookseller - publisher Zimmermann, Straubenhardt 1988)
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