Upright grand piano
Maker
Clementi & Company
Date1818 ca.
Place MadeLondon, England, Europe
Serial No.1154
SignedPainted black ink within gold floral swags on nameboard: Clementi / & Co. / LONDONMarkingsPunched at front of wrestplank: 1154
Punched on back panel: 3434
The instrument is marked "181* on the wrestplank and inside right cheek, and on the back and on the rear action access board.
DescriptionJohn Koster notes that this piano is probably earlier than the Clementi at the Boston MFA. The NMM’s instrument has 4, not 5, struts over the gap; MFA soundboard at angle to spine. FF to f4 compass was probably made ca. 1818 at the earliest.
Compass: FF-f4 (6 octaves)
Two pedals: left: una corda; right: dampers
Construction:
The case is veneered in mahogany with ebony stringing. Keywell veneered in satinwood (?) with ebony stringing. The nameboard contains a gold-painted arabesque chain with medallion in the center, which contains the maker's signature in ink. French polish finish (later). Left side 29.5 mm thick, right side 26.5 mm thick, bentside 27 mm thick. There are four iron gap spacers between c#/d, d1/d#1, d#2/e2, and d3/d#3. Rectangular, unpierced tuning pins. The soundboard grain runs parallel to the spine. There are two squared bridges made of beech: bass bridge FF-G#, treble bridge A-f4, cut to its curve. The outside ends of both bridges are cut square; the inside ends taper. Both bridges have deep notches and are double pinned throughout. The long bridge is 21 mm high and 16 mm thick. The nut is single pinned and divided at G#/A. The piano has two book shelves and two extendable candle shelves.
Action:
Upright grand action.The jacks in this piano are similar to those of English grands of the period, but in this case the jacks are actually pinned in a mortise to the key levers, whereas the jacks of English grands are cut open at the bottom and merely rest on the pins. The spring-loaded jacks, which are guided at the top by slots in the action frame, act directly on the hammer butt (without stickers). An interesting departure is the letoff mechanism. it consists of a thin mahogany slip, the bottom of which is nailed to the jack. A curved wooden block coated with graphite is glued to the top of this slip, which is left unglued. The curved block contacts an angled, cloth-covered rail. Letoff can be adjusted by turning a bird's-eye screw, which is screwed through the jack and pushes against the mahogany slip. The hammers are pinned in a brass flange with six long center pins. The hammer butt, round shanks, and hammer heads of mahogany. The heads are 6 mm wide and 46 mm long. The thickness of the heads is graduated from the bulbous-shaped bass hammers to the rectangular treble hammers. The bulbous part of the lowest bass hammer, not including the covering, is 9 mm thick, with two layers of sheepskin and six layers of deerskin. The total thickness of the leather is 10 mm at the strike point. (There is an additional replacement outer covering of chamois on all of the hammers.) The treblemost hammer molding is 3 mm thick, with one layer of sheepskin and three layers of deerskin, total thickness 5 mm. The back of the key lifts a sticker whcih is guided by a box guide and glued to an L-shaped backcheck lever, which is hinged with parchment (not original). The backcheck wires extend horizontally from the middle of the lever. When the key is depressed, the top front side of this lever pushes the horizontal damper levers. An interesting feature of this action is a cloth strip whcih is glued to the action frame in front of the hammers. Its function is to help the hammers return to their original position.
Dampers:
Damper compass FF-d#3 (with dummy dampers fo f4). The dampers consist of layers of cloth (not original) glued to hollowed-out, semi-circular damper blocks. The height of the blocks is graduated from bass to treble: 22 mm - 13 mm. The damper blocks are glued to the left side of the horizontal damper levers, thin slips of mahogany, which are guided by box guides. The dummy dampers are glued to the back box guide. The levers have vertical springs which are mounted to the case, above the action frame.
Keyboard:
Ivory naturals with one score line, boxwood fronts with a straight-line molding. Ebony sharps. Keys are weighted at the back. The key frame is mounted to the action and is removed through the back.
Stringing and scaling:
Triple strung throughout. About two-thirds of the strings are original. There are pencil marks on the front of the wrestplank (not original) indicating gauges.
0 C#
1 c#1
2 c#2
3 c3 or c#3
4 c4 or c#4
FF-G#: Yellow brass
A-f4: Iron
String gauges:
FF-GG: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
GG#: First string: missing; Second string: .80 mm; Third string: .80 mm
AA: First string: .80 mm; Second string: .80 mm; Third string: missing
AA#: First string: .80 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: .80 mm
BB: First string: .70 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: .70 mm
C: First string: .70 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
C#: First string: missing; Second string: .80 mm; Third string: missing
D: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: .70 mm
D#: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
E: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: missing
F-F#: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
G: First string: missing; Second string: .80 mm; Third string: .70 mm
G#: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: missing
A: First string: .70 mm; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: missing
A#: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: missing
B-c: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: .70 mm
c#: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
d-e: First string: .70 mm; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: .70 mm
f: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: .70 mm
f#-g: First string: .70 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: .70 mm
g#-c#1: First string: .70 mm; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: .70 mm
d1: First string: missing; Second string: .60 mm; Third string: .60 mm
d#1: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm; Third string: .60 mm
e1: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm; Third string: missing
g#1-a#1: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm; Third string: .60 mm
b1: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: .60 mm
c2: First string: .60 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
c#2: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm; Third string: missing
d2: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm; Third string: .60 mm
d#2: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: .60 mm
e2-f2: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: .55 mm
f#: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
g2: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: .55 mm
g#2: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .55 mm
a2: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: .55 mm
a#2: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .55 mm
b2: First string: .60 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: .55 mm
c3: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
c#3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .55 mm
d3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: .55 mm
d#3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: missing
e3-f#3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .55 mm
g3: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: .55 mm
g#3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .50 mm; Third string: .55 mm
a3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .55 mm
a#3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .45 mm
b3: First string: .45 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: missing
c4: First string: missing; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: missing
c#4Gauges:
FF-GG: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
GG#: First string: missing; Second string: .80 mm; Third string: .80 mm
AA: First string: .80 mm; Second string: .80 mm; Third string: missing
AA#: First string: .80 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: .80 mm
BB: First string: .70 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: .70 mm
C: First string: .70 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
C#: First string: missing; Second string: .80 mm; Third string: missing
D: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: .70 mm
D#: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
E: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: missing
F-F#: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
G: First string: missing; Second string: .80 mm; Third string: .70 mm
G#: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: missing
A: First string: .70 mm; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: missing
A#: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: missing
B-c: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: .70 mm
c#: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
d-e: First string: .70 mm; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: .70 mm
f: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: .70 mm
f#-g: First string: .70 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: .70 mm
g#-c#1: First string: .70 mm; Second string: .70 mm; Third string: .70 mm
d1: First string: missing; Second string: .60 mm; Third string: .60 mm
d#1: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm; Third string: .60 mm
e1: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm; Third string: missing
g#1-a#1: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm; Third string: .60 mm
b1: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: .60 mm
c2: First string: .60 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
c#2: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm; Third string: missing
d2: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm; Third string: .60 mm
d#2: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: .60 mm
e2-f2: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: .55 mm
f#: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
g2: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: .55 mm
g#2: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .55 mm
a2: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: .55 mm
a#2: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .55 mm
b2: First string: .60 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: .55 mm
c3: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: missing
c#3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .55 mm
d3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: missing; Third string: .55 mm
d#3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: missing
e3-f#3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .55 mm
g3: First string: missing; Second string: missing; Third string: .55 mm
g#3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .50 mm; Third string: .55 mm
a3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .55 mm
a#3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .45 mm
b3: First string: .45 mm; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: missing
c4: First string: missing; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: missing
c#4: First string: .50 mm; Second string: .50 mm; Third string: .50 mm
d4: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .65 mm; Third string: .55 mm
d#4: First string: missing; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: .55 mm
e4: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .50 mm; Third string: .50 mm
f4: First string: missing; Second string: .55 mm; Third string: missing
Cataloging by Rodger Kelly, 1991
DimensionsLength: 1162 mm (3' 9-3/4")
Width: 560 mm (1' 10")
Height of case, not including stand: 2009 mm (6' 7-1/6")
Overall height: 8' 4 3/4"
Keyboard:
Three-octave measure: 488 mm
Length of heads: 43 mm
Width of heads: 22 mm
Scaling:
FF 1510 mm; strike point 157 mm
C 1400 mm; strike point 139 mm
c 1057 mm; strike point 120 mm
c1 548 mm; strike point 71 mm
c2 279 mm; strike point 31 mm
c3 142 mm; strike point 17 mm
c4 71 mm; strike point 7 mm
f4 54 mm; strike point 7 mm
ProvenancePurchased from Jeff and Janet Kingdom, Star Route, Nederland, Colorado on May 1, 1981. The piano had previously been part of an upstate New York estate which was taken to Nederland, Colorado to be sold at auction.
Published ReferencesAndré P. Larson, The National Music Museum: A Pictorial Souvenir (Vermillion: National Music Museum, 1988), p. 45.
Rodger S. Kelly, A Catalog of European Pianos in the Shrine to Music Museum, MM Thesis, University of South Dakota, 1991, p. 107-116.
Credit LineBoard of Trustees, 1981
Object number02761
On View
On view
1800 ca.