[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Off at a tangent?
I am not an expert in early keyboard instruments. Here is a little bit.
The tangent piano was an early rival of the fortepiano.
A tangent comes from the clavichord. When the key of a clavichord is
depressed the tangent touches the string to produce sound. The piano uses
hammers. The damping action is different.
There is a picture of a tangent piano here:
www.khm.at/staticE/page210.html
A short history of keyboard instruments here:
http://www.baldwinpiano.com/learn/phistory.html
Historical instruments are becoming very popular.
Anne
----- Original Message -----
From: Kate Clunies-Ross <goldbergs@TALK21.COM>
To: <F_MINOR@EMAIL.RUTGERS.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, May 04, 2002 6:33 AM
Subject: Off at a tangent?
> I am sorry if this post is a little off-topic, but can any of the
F-Minor
> musical experts please tell me what a tangent piano is, and how it works?
> Yesterday a friend played me a CD of music by CPE Bach, played on the
> tangent piano. I have never heard this instrument before; to me, it
sounded
> like a hybrid between a piano and a harpsichord, a very precise sound,
with
> something of the dynamics of a piano.
> Thinking of GG's experiments with his "harpsipiano", it seems he might
have
> been interested in such an instrument!
>