Medici protege bartolomeo cristofori came up with the design in the late 17th century, but it was the playing and compositions of mozart in. The piano is supported with 5 large backposts for structural integrity. A spinet is a smaller type of harpsichord or other keyboard instrument, such as a piano or organ. A history of the harpsichord brings together for the first time more than 200 photographs, illustrations, and drawings of harpsichords in public museums and private collections throughout europe the united states. Spinet article about spinet by the free dictionary. In 2006 they purchased the dongbei piano group, thirdbiggest chinese piano maker. Beautiful and rare virginal for sale by alec hodsdon, lavenham, the case is walnut. Unfollow spinet piano to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. The invention and evolution of the piano acoustics today. This piano is located upstairs in the sellers home. Some uprights in the 1800s and early 1900s were nearly as tall as the length of a baby grand. Wurlitzer pianos were on the low end in quality and price and combined with the old age and small size this piano will have a rather low value today. Cheryl is sick, has sent her son to play the crippled keyboard of the unwaxed spinet, piano we all thought was finished, silent, dumb. Hello everyone, my 6 year old son its been taking piano lessons on a yamaha that we are renting, for about 7 months.
The piano supplanted the harpsichord because the action of its hammers on the strings could create sounds both piano e fortesoft and loudhence the name pianoforte, eventually shortened to piano. Mendelssohn spinet piano with bench and music books ebth. Many other stringed and keyboard instruments preceded the piano and led to the development of the instrument as we know it today. Being a member of the harpsichord family, the strings of the spinet were plucked by plectra attached to jacks. How does a baldwin acrosonic spinet differ from a regular.
A celebration of the piano pianist and author stuart isacoff begins his new book, a natural history of the piano. She is currently studying for a phd at winterthur, delaware, on the topic of amateur piano makers in america, c. Therefore, each composers musical style can be correlated to the pianos development during each time. By the mid 18th century, romanticism in the arts became all the rage and the pianos popularity rose sharply. She believes that it has ivory keys, and im not sure how much that will play into the value.
However, according to the blue book of pianos, this manufacturer was winter and company which eventually became part of the aeolianamerican corporation. When talking about piano history, mention must be made of the early instruments that paved its way. In 1900 wurlitzer began to produce coin operated, nickelodeon pianos. In fact, i have kind of a personal attachment to the spinet, since thats the type of piano i learned to play on when i was five years old. Please note, this article was written back in 2009.
Jan 01, 2011 a celebration of the piano pianist and author stuart isacoff begins his new book, a natural history of the piano. It was an old wurlitzer spinet that sat in our dining room and living room it didnt exactly have a. History and uses of gemstones and the latest and astonishing gemstone beads by. For this same reason, the development of the piano was a vastly. Piano history that is more or less the end of early piano history. The tonal range of the piano increased from the five octaves of the pianoforte to the seven and more octaves found on modern pianos. Apr 28, 2012 spinets are the smallest size of piano made. Professor ehrlich follows its fascinating history from the fortepiano of mozarts time, through the victorians household orchestra and god, to the most sophisticated modern products of the japanesemanufacturers. In each case we show the lowest price at retail for each size. Many spinet pianos still exist today, left over from their period of manufacture. It served the purpose of making pianos available for a low price, for owners who had little space for a piano.
Our technicians have brought it to a high level with gentle hammer reshaping, action regulation, lubrication, string termination and fine tuning. Lets continue discussing the history of the piano short for pianoforte. This spinet style piano did a good job of replicating the sound of bulkier, larger instruments. Wurlitzer pianos is one of the oldest names in the piano manufacturing industry in the united states. A cherry tone story and clark spinet piano with a matching bench, casters to its base, three brass pedals, and a retracting fallboard. The baldwin acrosonic meaning supreme tone piano was the name given to the baldwin firms topoftheline spinet 36 inches high and. Call this one an important lesson in the key of life. Although the design of a grand piano is very similar to the original 18th century piano, modern technology, and updated materials make todays instruments even more exquisite. May 01, 2020 a spinet piano is a smaller version of a piano. To celebrate the 300th birthday of everyones fave instrument, author james parakilas has written a book at once awesome and astounding, a stunning cultural history, told in vivid detail and ample anecdotes and stunning color photographs, of the musical and social roles that the piano has played in its long and amazing career. Because of their weight and size, moving a spinet piano is not a oneman job. While the main points are still valid some of the prices will have changed. The piano is a stringed instrument producing sound through the impact of a series of hammers striking the strings with various intensities. Wurlitzer spinet piano excellent condition youtube.
Today, all kinds of artists use acoustic piano, and the king of all pianos is, of course, the grand. The development of the keyboard through the grand piano and its. Ultimately, something is worth only as much as someone will pay for it. Used piano resale prices 19741984 bluebook of pianos.
The new models boast several enhanced features, including a more powerful speaker system, improved harpsichord tone, and an improved concert play mode. This price will vary slightly depending on your local market as well as the actual condition of the piano. Spinets are not meant for advanced players, but its hard to find better values. During the 1920s, the company acquired the melville clark line of pianos and in 1935 introduced a piano just 39 inches in height to the market. Other styles with the same specifications sell for more. Kottick draws on his extensive technical knowledge and experience as a harpsichord builder to detail the changing design, structure, and acoustics of the instrument over. Erard, an enormous four story high room encircled by a balcony at the second oor level. In terms of shape, the spinet provides the link between the boxlike virginal and the elegant harpsichord proper. For a great source of additional information check out our piano forums today.
I havent been able to go and check it out yet, but, i. These are accurate retail prices of pianos in 1957 these were the fair trade prices set by each factory and honored by all retailers nationwide before the term price fixing was created. Wurlitzer pianoes are a good addition to invigorate any musical performance. This is a california piano which has benefitted from a gentle climate and casual playing. Spinet pianos were manufactured between the 1930s and the late 1990s, when they fell out of fashion. This is a list current used piano prices of these models made after 1985. Click here to view the photograph of this piano in higher resolution. The wingshaped spinet may have originated in italy during the 16th century. Fortunately, spinet pianos are smaller and lighter than most other types of pianos, making them easier to move. Baldwin acrosonic spinet piano for sale online piano store. We were talking about the piano of the the midlate eighteenth century. I fell in love with it as a child there was an upright in the apartment in which i grew.
I worked for the baldwin piano and organ company for several years so i feel qualified to answer this question. Nov 20, 2012 stuart isacoff has achieved something significant in presenting a rich history of the piano in such an engaging form. The instrument, the music, the musicians from mozart to modern jazz and everything in between at a seemingly odd place well in the middle of the story. The piano was derived from the harpsichord and clavichord. Our classified page will help you to buy and sell musical instruments. Casio has added two new models to its celviano grand hybrid digital piano line the gp310 and gp510. This wood piano is on legs with wheels and has a topopening storage bench.
Mankinds knowledge that a taut, vibrating string can produce sound. A fascinating celebration of the piano, including tales of its masters from mozart and. And thus, in the mid 1930s, wurlitzer hit the american piano market by storm with the spinet, a piano with a fullsized keyboard and a full set of strings, and yet, standing a mere 36 inches high. Piano spinet history according to piano historian arthur loesser 1954, the first spinet piano was offered to the public in may 1935, by an american manufacturer loesser does not identify. The quality of their pianos can be lined up with the best names in the realm of piano manufacturing and design. Helping you determine the value of a piano please note, this article was written back in 2009.
For more than a century the piano occupied a dominant place in music and society. The grand pianos made by wurlitzer during the 20th century were considered to be work horse type pianos, so called commercial pianos along the. But a spinet piano will still provide endless hours of fun if that is the purpose of having a piano in the family room. Used, in excellent condition some of these pianos are worth more than original price. In 1935, it was one of the first manufacturers to offer the spinet piano to the mass market. The piano forums are an online community of piano lovers including piano industry professionals, concert artists, recording artists, technicians, dealers, manufacturers, and thousands of enthusiastic amateur pianist. Included is a collection of music books and sheet music. Unfortunately, they still weigh about 350 pounds, requiring a lot of muscle and care to move without damage.
For an upright piano, the strings are aligned vertically, and. In my hometown of mission, texas, miss verna klapperich taught her piano students in a small travel trailer complete with spinet piano, blackboard, and cushioned seats on top of cabinets filled with graded music. Spinet pianos are a great option for those with limited space. This book tells you everything, and i mean everything, about the history of the piano. What would the typical value of this piano be from this time. Media in category spinet pianos the following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total. Spinnet synonyms, spinnet pronunciation, spinnet translation, english dictionary definition of spinnet.
Spinnet definition of spinnet by the free dictionary. The tone and design of these wurlitzer electric pianoes please musical groups and gift givers. Upright piano around 1780, the upright piano was created by johann schmidt of salzburg, austria, and later improved in 1802 by thomas loud of london whose upright piano had strings that ran diagonally. The top of the piano comes just a few inches above the keys, and the action is located below, operated by vertical wires that are attached to the backs of the keys. Its a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at. It developed the pentagonal soundboard, tone crafted hammers, and other unique innovations to help its pianos produce a richer, fuller tone. Jul 17, 2017 fortunately, spinet pianos are smaller and lighter than most other types of pianos, making them easier to move. There were few, if any such makers in london, but the spirit of selfsufficiency was strong in the new united states of america, and these amateur makers were an important part of the development of the piano in in the. In 2004 gibson acquired a piano factory in the guangdong province, of china.
Please note, this is an item that may be especially difficult to move andor. The piano is a fascinating instrument with an interesting history. This excellent spinet piano will get your beginning pianist through the first 34 years of lessons, at which point you can trade up to an upgraded. The spinet piano, manufactured from the 1930s until recent times, was the culmination of a trend among manufacturers to make pianos smaller and cheaper.
Click for a more detailed view, revealing the use of bookmatched veneering. Spinet, small form of the harpsichord, generally wingshaped, with a single set of strings placed at an oblique angle to the keyboard. Modern pianos usually have 88 keys, but its a fact that over the years the number of keys has varied between 44 and 97. This history takes us back to the pianos humble genesis as a simple keyboard. The piano was invented 300 years ago and the instrument has changed considerably since then. The term spinet is actually used to refer to any smaller version of a larger instrument such as a spinet harpsichord or organ. 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.
The piano was the first keyboard instrument to adjust sound volume by the amount of force used to strike the key. The larger upright pianos were quite popular in the later 19th and early 20th centuries. A spinet piano is typically less than 40 inches tall, measured from the floor to the top of the lid. The development of the keyboard through the grand piano. The first historical mention of instruments is in genesis 4. Spinet definition of spinet by the free dictionary. Wurlitzer studio upright late 1970s piano world piano. The primary reason for the decline of the instrument was the. Whats the difference between types of vertical pianos. The story of the piano begins in padua, italy in 1709, in the shop of a harpsichord maker named bartolomeo di francesco cristofori 16551731. Based in columbus, ohio our company stocks over 300 new and used pianos for sale including restored steinway pianos and german pianos such as bechstein and bosendorfer.
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