Why the king of musical instruments--Music under one's
fingers--Can render anything in music--Liszt played the whole
orchestra on the pianoforte--Fingers of a great virtuoso the
ambassadors of his soul--Melody and accompaniment on one
instrument--No intermediaries to mar effect--Paderewski's
playing of "Hark, Hark, the Lark"--Music's debt to the
pianoforte--Developed sonata form and gave it to
orchestra--Richard Strauss on Beethoven's pianistic
orchestration--A boon to many famous composers, even to
Wagner--Its lowly origin--Nine centuries to develop pianoforte
from monochord--The monochord described--Joined to a
keyboard--Poet's amusing advice to his musical
daughter--Clavichord developed from monochord--Its lack of
power--Bebung, or balancement--The harpsichord--Originated in
the cembalo of the Hungarian gypsy orchestra--Spinet and
virginal--Pianoforte invented by Cristofori, 1711--Exploited by
Silbermann--Strings of twenty tons' tension--Dampers and
pedals--Paderewski's use of both pedals--Mechanical
pianofortes--Senseless decoration 29