konzerte04-pressemappe.pdf - Berliner Festspiele

oard moved by four rollers, so that the strings of the higher or lower notes were struck by the same
hammers. This patent must have been in France.
In France, Sebastian Erard patented an improved version of his double-escapement action, while his
nephew Pierre took out a patent for the same action in London (number 4631, dated 22 December
1821). This was also the fi rst patent that Pierre took out.
In 1840, under patent number 8643, plate number nine, he describes his patent for the front bat pin
with a key bushing. This is a simple component, now standard on all pianos today, that is great for
minimizing wear on the key bushing. It was little things like this that the Erards were so good at. Not
only did they want to improve the sound and fl exibility of the action and piano, they tried to make the
tuner‘s life easier.
Pierre made some other modifi cations to the piano, to make life easier for those who worked on
them. However, not all were taken up for very long. Patent number 13,816, from 1851, shows some of
Pierre‘s work, this one being for a tuning device.
„Figures 3 and 4 show a plan and section of a new screw apparatus for tuning the wires of a grand
piano. In Figure 4 the tuning end of the string (a) is represented as passing through a groove or hole,
and coming out at (b), then turning round the stem of a screw (c), and also round the stem of the
screw (d). These two screws (c) and (d), by the pressure of their beads, keep the wire down tight
upon the surface of the metal slides (g) in the guides or sockets (h), and passing under a bridge or
rest (i). Behind each of the slides (g) is a screw (j) abutting with a shoulder (k) against a metal standard
(i), forming part of the socket (h). The screws (j) may be turned with a key fi tting on their square
heads, shown in the end view, Figure 5. These said screws (j), by screwing up into the sliders (g),
draw them under the bridge (i) towards the standard (i), and tune up the string to the proper pitch.
By a contrary motion of the screws the wires can be slackened at pleasure.“
On the same paper he went on to describe his new fl ange for grands. It is like the Billings fl ange we
all love to work on, but instead of brass it is made of wood.
„Figures 6 and 7 show a plan and a side view of a newly invented hammer butt for Erard‘s Patent
Action, with the improvement of a regulating screw (m) to every separate hammer centre. This
arrangement is of great importance, inasmuch as it admits of every separate hammer centre being
regulated with the requisite degree of tightness, one screw only being required for each butt. Another
advantage in these improved hammer centres is that they may be left very free when fi nishing the
instrument. This greatly facilitates producing a light touch. The screws (m) are also useful to tighten
the hammers should they become too free from the effects of a warm atmosphere, or to loosen
them should they become too tight from the effects of a moist atmosphere. At (n) is shown a slit in
the butt in which the pin (o) is inserted at the end, and this is of suffi cient size to give the slit (n) a
tendency to open.“
And fi nally, the bulk of this patent was taken up by his improvement to the bridge. On this submission
he is not modest about their pianos:
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Pierre Erard, do hereby declare
that the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto attached, and to the fi gures and letters marked thereon, that is to say: -
The comparison made in regard to pianofortes of all nations at the Great Exhibition has established
more fully than ever the reputation and superiority of my pianofortes over those of the old principle.
My original repetition action, my new proportions in stringing the instruments, and the more solid
construction of the frame have rendered the modern pianofortes so perfect as to leave nothing to be
wished for in mechanical action, tone, and durability. There is, however, one point which, in my mind,
may leave room for improvement; that is, the pressure of the wires on the sounding board. It has