On 11/3/08 12:48, in article , "David
Rance" wrote:

On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 Sacha wrote:

It was Johann Sebastian Bach decomposing.

Hmm, I don't believe you. The piano wasn't in use in Bach's time.

Square piano was?

Nope. It was the harpsichord as a concert instrument and the clavichord
as a domestic instrument. The (generally accepted) inventor of the piano
was Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731), who produced his first piano in
1709. It was slow in catching on but the German organ-builder and
clavichord maker Silbermann built two pianos in the late 1720s and
submitted them to Bach for his comments. Bach hurt him by pointing out
serious defects. However, although Silbermann improved the instrument
and Bach was able to play on those owned by Frederick the Great (and was
thus more complimentary), nevertheless it was not an instrument to which
Bach was drawn and he never used one in his performances.

Bach was more interested in the tuning of keyboard instruments and
championed what was known as "equal-temperament" which made it possible
to play in all twelve major and all twelve minor keys for the first time
and for which he wrote the "48 Preludes and Fugues" (two sets in each of
the major and minor keys).

...... well, you did ask!

I was interested so thank you. My ex fil had a square piano which was very
beautiful but I had no idea of its age or origins which was I queried that.

The earliest square piano (by Zumpe, a pupil of Silbermann who came to
London) is dated around 1760, ten years after the death of J.S.Bach.

A square piano is certainly a collector's item but I don't know when the
latest models were made. It was soon superseded by the upright.

David

I've emailed you the little I know about this one.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'