Studio News
February,
2007
--
History
of the Piano Czerny
Welcome to February’s newsletter.
It is good to see some new faces around the studio and a delight to see
everyone back. I wish you an
enjoyable year of learning. For some, it has been a quick jump into a busy or demanding
year. You
are thought about.
This issue features an article written by one
of our studio parents, Mr Shannon Cullen. The
article introduces the composer and teacher Carl Czerny – one of the most
famous piano teachers ever. Thank
you, Mr Cullen, for your efforts and valued contribution.
I
would like to take this opportunity to invite studio members to write articles
for or advertise (music related items only) through Studio
News.
^
History
of the Piano
The
piano is a very young instrument. The piano we know today really only came together 150 years
ago. Other keyboard instruments
were played before the piano, mostly as supports for solo instruments (e.g.
clarinet, violin) and choirs. The
earlier instruments included the clavichord, harpsichord and dulcimer.
These instruments did not have strong sounds and could not play long
notes or different volumes – like the modern piano can. The
invention of the piano occurred because musicians had a dream for an instrument
with more potential.
An Italian, Bartolomeo Cristofori, is credited for building the first
‘piano’ – built around 1700.
The earlier instruments used quills to pluck strings when keys were
pressed.
Cristofori invented a system whereby the strings were struck by small
hammers.
This meant that different volumes could be produced if the keys were hit
slower or faster.
As part of the mechanics, he created an action that allowed the hammer
s
to bounce smoothly away from the strings so the sound could continue and notes
cold be repeated.
Cristofori called his invention gravicembalo col piano e forte (the
harpsichord with soft and loud).
Modern piano actions are continue to be built on variations of this
design.
In the early 1700s, Siblermann invented a form of the damper pedal, adding this
to Cristofori’s design. The
damper is a felt pad that rests against the string, stopping vibration and
ending sound, when a key is released. The
damper pedal (the right pedal on the piano) lifts all the dampers away from the
strings at once so that notes continue to sound after the key is released.
After Cristofori and Silbermann’s inventions, the piano showed promise
for the future piano, but the sounds were still weaker and the range of notes
was small (in the late 1700s, the piano had 5 octaves, by 1810 there were 6 and
then in 1820 there were 7).
During the late 1700s, much work was done to improve the sound of the piano.
Viennese instrument makers added two stings for each note, making the
sound stronger. Two frames were
used to support the force of the extra strings.
The hammers were covered with leather, so the sound was soft and clear.
This is the instrument for which Mozart wrote.
In the early 1800s, the piano developed very quickly.
This was the time of the early Romantic composers, including Chopin,
Brahms, Schubert and Liszt. The
instrument was changed so the new compositions could be played.
As new and better instruments were built, the composers became more
adventurous, which led to increasing the potential of the instrument.
At this time, the piano had smaller keys and very light action.
It was easier to reach greater intervals and to play at greater speeds.
The modern piano, with its greater power of sound and sustain effect, developed
for concert performance, as the piano became a solo instrument.
The changes were possible because of new technologies available during
the Industrial Revolution. The iron
frame (invented by Boston and Babcock, 1826) allowed for thicker, tighter
strings – a greater volume range – and 3 strings on higher notes.
The leather hammers were also replaced with felt (Henri Pape, 1826),
producing more tonal variations.
The square piano was the instrument of the early 1800s.
From this developed the tall, upright cabinet (invented by
Southwell, 1806) and later the shorter cottage pianino (Wornum, 1810).
The modern grand piano was recognisable by the 1890s.
Steinway was a leader in this area, producing pianos for the concert
stage. In 1836, Henri Forneaux
created player pianos that use a scroll and do not require a pianist, enabling
everyone to enjoy music – family entertainment.
The modern piano is still evolving. Very
recognisable is the new form, the digital piano, which was developed in the
1980s. However, the acoustic piano also is changing as new synthetic
materials are created. Lighter,
faster actions are the focus of the present.
^
Carl
Czerny
by
Shannon Cullen
Carl Czerny was a curious paradox of the age.
He was arguably the greatest pianist who never performed, and the most
successful composer to have been consigned to oblivion.
Born in Vienna on Sunday, February 20th, 1791, ten months before Mozart's death;
at the age of three he could fluently play the piano and by seven he could
notate his own musical ideas. So
impressed was his father that at the age of 10, he was taken to see Beethoven.
Too nervous to play the Master's work, he chose instead a Mozart concerto.
According to Czerny's autobiography notes, Beethoven listened intently
and agreed to teach him three times a week without charge.
Having accepted Czerny as a pupil, Beethoven concentrated on material in C.P.E.
Bach's Versuch and on legato playing, which was particularly
appropriate for the fortepiano as opposed to the Mozartian non-legato style of
playing. Czerny was nevertheless
deeply impressed by the clarity and precision of this latter style.
In 1800 Czerny made his public debut as a pianist in Vienna and quickly gained a
reputation as the leading interpreter of Beethoven's keyboard music and in 1812
he premiered Beethoven's 'Emperor' Concerto. But in 1805, a planned concert tour
of Europe had to be cancelled due to the Napoleonic Wars and his parents’
frail health. Such a tour would have meant recognition and fame such as
that experienced by Mozart and Liszt but Czerny was later to write that his
'playing lacked that type of brilliant, calculated charlatanry that is usually
part of a traveling virtuoso's equipment'.
However, it would be as a teacher that his reputation would lie.
By the age of 15 he was commanding a good price for piano lessons and had
many pupils. In Vienna, there were
now 64 piano manufacturers supplying a population of 200,000 and piano lessons
were an essential part of the Biedermeier period.
All daughters were expected to learn the piano - one of the few
disciplines, along with sewing that society permitted them to pursue.
His famous exercises and studies range from the easy and progressive to
the virtuoso and specialised. Others
exploit the prevailing salon, bravura and characteristic styles of the time.
Later volumes detail improvisation, transposition, score reading, concert
decorum and piano maintenance.
In 1821, a nine-year-old Franz Liszt began a two-year tuition with Czerny.
The teacher noted that 'never before have I had so eager, talented or
industrious a student'. Czerny
noted that Liszt had began his performing career too early without proper or
sufficient training in composition. The
critics were lukewarm at his first performance but Beethoven is reputed to have
walked up on stage and kissed Liszt on the forehead as a mark of respect. Later, Czerny's Sonata No.1 was added to Liszt's concert performances
and his Transcendental Studies is
dedicated to Czerny.
Another
less talented pupil was Beethoven's nephew Karl.
Lengthy correspondence exists between teacher and Master detailing the
teenager's lessons with the end result being that Czerny informs Beethoven that
his nephew has no musical ear at all. Beethoven
was surprised to say the least.
Arriving in Vienna in 1829, Chopin's first destination was Czerny's. Their
letters show a deep admiration for each others work and teaching methods.
However, Czerny also had critics. John
Field, the inventor of the Nocturne, while also staying there in 1835 described
Czerny as a 'Tintenfass', a bottomless inkpot. And Robert Schumann, in reviewing
a newly composed piece, described it thus 'It would be hard to discover a
greater bankruptcy in imagination than Czerny has proved.'
This thinking has prevailed to the present day due to the vast amount of
compositions (over 1000 works) he produced.
Critics believe quality was sacrificed for quantity.
However, the vast majority have yet to see the light of day and a recent
music symposium in Albertina, Canada highlighted just how adventurous Czerny's
compositions are. Symphonies,
operas, requiems and concertos show a composer secretly working at his art while
unable to emerge from the shadow of his master, Beethoven.
Czerny died in 1857, leaving his entire fortune of over 100,000 florins to
charitable institutions.
Czerny
was born in Vienna (Austria) on February 20th, 1971. As a child
genius, he could play the piano very well by the time he was 3, and began
writing for the piano when he was 7. When he was 10, his father took him
to the famous teacher / composer Beethoven, who took him on as a student for two
years. Many years later, Czerny also became a teacher – training Liszt,
among other excellent students. Czerny eventually became most recognised
for the technical studies that he wrote and his ideas about the best ways to
play the piano. He composed well over 1000 pieces for performance as well
as pieces for practicing piano skills.
I
hope you have enjoyed this newsletter.
Annah-Valerie
Hyrst (teacher)
Individual
Dynamics
Rouse
Hill, NSW
