Description
Similar to Clinkscale I.55.1
Partial restoration: Stewart Symonds, Sydney, N.S.W. all parts
Nameboard: satinwood with ebony surround with rectangular ebony-??? name, label inscribed “John Broadwood and Sons/Makers to His Majesty and His Princesses/Great Pulteney Street London Golden Square” ???? support at each end.
Number: 102 top R side of wrestplank
Adhesive label below number : ? Morley / ? Cambridge St, Pimlico 5W
Compass: 5 1/2 octaves (FF-C4): 68 notes
Keyboard: single unreversed manual
Keyboard materials: ivory naturals, ebony sharps
Pitch: A 415Hz
Tuning: equal tempered
Action: upright sticker, hammer back-strike at top of case
Hammer coverings: leather
Bridge: divided at G# – A
Strings:
- FF – C (8 notes) bichord wound copper over iron
- C#-C4 (60 notes) bichord iron FF-e3, 60 notes
Dampers: cloth overdampers
Wrestpins: top of case
Hitchpins: FF-f (25 notes) : bottom of case
F#-C4 (43 notes) : bentside
Frame: timber, with wrestplank at top of case
Pedals: timber. L una corda, R damper lift
Case: mahogany, satinwood with ebony cross banding, hinged cloth (not original) cover key well door above key well, paired timber doors below
Legs: 2 tapered circular cross-section legs with brass collars and castens below keyboard
Keyboard-fallboard lid: cylindrical as for case
Music desk : ledge on inside of lid
Dimensions(mm): 1725h x 1064w x 540d at keyboard, 265mm elsewhere
Repertoire: Haydn
Provenance : purchased from William Bradshaw, Sydney
Condition Category : II-III
Rectification required : complete restoration
Concert date : none
Commentary:
The cabinet fortepiano differs from other upright fortepianos in the following respects:
1. stands : Only upright grands have stands; cabinet and cottage fortepianos are ground-standing
2. wrestplank position : at bottom of case in upright grands; at top of case in cabinet and cottage uprights
3. case height : upright grand : 2355 +- 225 (ex stand)
(in mm) cabinet piano : 1533 +- 195
cottage piano : 1385 +- 185
4. action and stringing : only cottage pianos are cross-strung (generally); upright grands and cabinet pianos are always straight strung
5. stickers : only cabinet pianos employ stickers
Broadwood commenced a series of 14 unnumbered cabinet pianos on 16 Jan 1812; the earliest example believed to have survived is No. 89 (Clinkscale I.55.5) with compass unseconded, though all subsequent survivors have a 6 octave compass (ie. either CC-c4 or FF-f4, beginning in 1815. This suggests that the present instrument, hitherto unrecorded, may be the second oldest survivng Broadwood cabinet piano, manufactured closer to 1812 than to 1815.
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