Hipkins, a faithful and knowledgeable employee of the firm, and also william dales tschudi, the harpsichord maker. With honed sensitivity and unquestioned expertise, stuart isacoffpianist, critic, teacher, and author of temperament. The address broadwoods were asked to deliver the piano to when it was first despatched, and the method of delivery. The piano book is the bible of the piano marketplace. Young thomas broadwood, at the keys from 1815, was also an early appreciator of the pr opportunity, dispatching a free piano to that dangerous viennese avant gardiste, ludwig van beethoven, in 1817. Broadwood of course featured strongly in rosamond hardings classic work the pianoforte 1933, rev. When talking about piano history, mention must be made of the early instruments that paved its way. Early history john broadwood, a scottish joiner and cabinetmaker, came to london in 1761 and began to. Hipkins stated in 1851 that broadwood had been the first to makegrands with a complete castiron frame. The first historical mention of instruments is in genesis 4. The exact date when your piano was finished in broadwoods london workshops. He inherited his father james broadwood s b1697 oldhamstocks profession, that of a wright or carpenterjoiner, and as a young man walked from oldhamstocks to london, a distance of almost 400 miles 640 km, where he worked for the. Then from 1982 we have david wainwrights book broadwood by appointment. See more ideas about piano, piano history and old pianos.
The keyboard of beethovens broadwood spanned six octaves cc to c, slightly narrower than the beethoven centers 1823 instrument which extends up. The instruments have been enjoyed by such famous people as mozart, haydn, chopin, beethoven and liszt. How music became a battleground for the great minds of western civilizationunfolds the ongoing history and evolution of. On this site are the current pianos in production, the history of broadwoods, serial numbers and a letter from beethoven. Broadwood asked five fortepianists living in london to help him select the appropriate instrument and had the names of these men engraved on a plaque. The book is an excellent overview of the history of harpsichord and pianoforte making by the broadwood company in britain. Surrey county council john broadwood and sons piano. Reading the historical record from an early broadwood. Australharmony broadwood pianos in early colonial australia. They have a long history that has been central to the development of the modern day piano as we know it, starting from its beginnings in the harpsichord trade. There were pianos before then in italy, for example and the square piano survived longer in mainland europe and particularly america, but the last square piano made in england was delivered by broadwoods in. We were talking about the piano of the the midlate eighteenth century.
John broadwood was the major author of this progress, and his shop, aided by. Four metalbars were used in 1818, the year thomas broadwood wrote to beethoven,offering him a piano. Many books written about the piano give differentdates for the invention of the iron frame, with babcoks patent for a square grand of the 17th of december 1826 being the favourite. The square piano, with strings parallel to the keys, was the most popular domestic piano until the early19thcentury perfection, in philadelphia, of the upright piano. In 1817 leading piano maker thomas broadwood, fourth son of john broadwood, set off on an extended tour of switzerland, austria and germany. Broadwood produced his first square piano in 1771, after the model of johannes zumpe, and worked assiduously to develop and refine the instrument, moving the wrest plank of the earlier pianoforte, which had sat to the side of the case as in the clavichord, to the back of the case in 1781, straightening the keys, and replacing the hand stops with pedals. Reading the historical record from an early broadwood grand piano. Broadwood by appointment, a history, by wainwright david. Broadwood extended the compass to five anda half octaves in 1790 as a note in the companys books from 1793 tells us. John broadwood pianos are an inventive british firm with extreme variation in quality and style of upright and grand pianos from very old ones that arent really worth reconditioning if you want an allround piano, to very good grands from about 1893 onwards, and uprights from about 1900, mixed with indifferent ones. They started in the 1700s and have continuously held the seal by appointment to the british monarchy up to the present day. The archives of john broadwood and sons, held at surrey history centre, are a rich source for the history of this world famous piano. In vienna he met beethoven, then 47, who was by then quite unwell and starting to become deaf. A brief history of the shudi family, and the extraordinary circumstances in which.
A serial number9644and the date 1823 are stamped into the wrest plank. The english piano maker john broadwood 17321812 was the first to develop the present heavier, more sonorous instrument. Australharmony an online resource toward the history of music and musicians in colonial and early. He inherited his father james broadwoods b1697 oldhamstocks profession, that of a wright or carpenterjoiner, and as a young man walked from oldhamstocks to london, a distance of almost 400 miles 640 km, where he worked for the.
Books on piano history the broadwood barless piano the broadwood barless piano by alastair laurence the history of the barless piano including photos and drawings plus pre history of the barless piano and its development from 1895 to 1914. Broadwood by appointment a history by david wainwright. It is a true piece of history, with a fantastic touch, sleek and fascinating aesthetic, and its bursting with the character of over a century of existence. The square piano in england 1766 1866 this short history fits neatly into just a hundred years. On this site are the current pianos in production, the history of broadwoods. Broadwood piano history research surrey county council. Brilliant center for beethoven studies from pamela emerson of woburn, massachusetts in may 2006 by a select group of donors to the american beethoven society. Books by michael cole, river thames, john broadwood, biography, the. Broadwood was born 6 october 1732 and christened 15 oct 1732 at st helens, cockburnspath in berwickshire, and grew up in oldhamstocks, east lothian.
There were other wellregarded british piano firms, such as clementi and. John broadwoods first piano 1773 was a square instrument modeled after those of johann zumpe, a germanborn pianoforte maker who worked for a time with shudi and who built the first square pianos. This guide provides references to serial numbers, dates of manufacture, factory locations, a brief history of many manufacturers and other pertinent information. John broadwood pianos historical and archive services. The archives are extensively used for tracing the history of individual pianos. The number books act as an index to the porters books. A beautifully illustrated, totally engrossing celebration of the piano, and the composers and performers who have made it their own. List of books and articles about piano history online. Broadwood archive, porters book, 10 april 1799 ref. Original broadwood 1798 square piano for sale sold on 28th. Over 12,000 piano names are included, some dating back to the early eighteen hundreds. You can buy this book the broadwood barless piano by alastair laurence. On this site are the current pianos in production, the history of broadwoods, serial.
The piano was built in 1796 in london during a period of rapid advancement in the art and science of piano making. Over the last twenty years it has become more fashionable to leave original surfaces of antiques intact rather than strip and replace finishes, as expert after expert in such public forums as antiques road show drill into the viewing audience the financial importance of. The two main series of records are the number books and porters or day books. Broadwood pianos information roberts pianos oxford. Many pianos like this were exported to france after the revolution, as well as to america where possession of a fashionable broadwood signified ones elevated status and good.
Built in 1807 by britains foremost piano manufacturer, broadwood, the socalled square piano. The full name of the pianos purchaser and the selling price. In 1810 the doubleaction striking mechanism, which permits rapid repetition of a tone, was perfected. A fascinating celebration of the piano, including tales of its masters from mozart and beethoven to oscar peterson and jerry lee lewis, told with the expertise of composer and author of temperament, stuart isacoff. Nor was the firms success based simply on its hitech tinkerings. John broadwood pianos are an inventive british firm with extreme variation in quality and style of upright and grand pianos from very old ones that arent really worth reconditioning if you want an allround piano, to very good grands from about 1893 onwards, and uprights from. On 22 november 1816, a fine new grand pianoforte over eight feet in length and by the london firm of john broadwood and sons, the. Surrey county council broadwood piano history research. See todays john broadwood pianos for sale, best offer and auction. Beethoven wrote back in february, i shallregard it as a altar upon which i will place the choicest offeringsof my mind to the divine apollo. Despite lack of sales, the manxman is still an important element in. Piano forte by darwent, charles management today, june. History of the piano old antique pianos age of pianos. The piano was not a great success at the time, and broadwood only produced 40 units.
The archives of john broadwood and sons, held at surrey history centre, are a rich source for the history of this world famous piano manufacturing company and the many thousands of instruments they made. The beethoven broadwood celebrates two anniversaries. The evolution of the broadwood grand piano, 17851998. John broadwood, the harpsichord and the piano jstor. By the mid 18th century, romanticism in the arts became all the rage and the pianos popularity rose sharply. Broadwood decided to present the composer with his latest grand piano. The first known broadwood grand piano dates from 1781. By 1780 broadwood was making square pianos after an original design. By the 1840s, broadwood was manufacturing 2,000 square pianos a year.