the treadles—like a weaver's, as he said—was too great a drawback to its use. This must have been the 'Nürnbergisch Gambenwerk' of Hans Haydn, organist to the church of St. Sebald, who made, about 1610, a harpsichord-shaped instrument, strung with catgut. The strings were beneath the soundboard, and were acted upon by rollers covered with rosined parchment. The rollers were set in motion by a wheel, and by pressure of keys came in contact with the strings. The tone was capable of increase and diminution, and resembled in timbre that of the Viol di Gamba—whence the name 'Gambenwerk.' The original idea exists in the Hurdy Gurdy.
A tolerably long list of similar experiments in France, Germany, and even Russia, is to be found in Welcker's 'Der Clavierbau' (Frankfort, 1870), p. 163, etc. It appears that Chladni much favoured the idea of a piano violin, and under his auspices one was made in 1795 by von Mayer of Gorlitz. The form was that of a grand piano; each key acted upon a catgut string, and as many hairs as there are in a violin bow were adjusted in a frame for each string, a pedal setting them in motion. All these attempts however failed to produce a useful instrument, from the impossibility of playing with rapidity: slow movements alone being insufficient to satisfy either player or hearer.
At last, in 1865, Hubert Cyrille Baudet introduced one in Paris capable of rapid articulation, and named it 'Piano Quatuor,' patenting it in England as 'Piano-Violin.' The principle of Baudet's invention is very simple, although the wheel-machinery he employs is complex. The strings are of wire, as in a pianoforte, but of greater relative thickness, there being one only to each note. The strings are vertical; and attached to a nodal, or nearly nodal, point of each, is a piece of stiff catgut, projecting in front more than an inch. A roller, covered with fine linen and slightly rosined, is made to turn by means of treadles with great rapidity, just above the catgut ties, but not touching them until the keys are put down, when they rise into contact with the roller. Motion is then communicated through the ties to the wires, and their musical vibration is excited. The steel string by its vibrating length and tension determines the pitch; the catgut tie gives it the colour of tone or timbre; and the impression on the ear is that of the tone of a violin. Still we miss the attack of the bow, which gives life to the real quartet.
[ A. J. H. ]
PIATTI, Alfredo, violoncellist, was born at Bergamo Jan. 1822 [App. p.749 "Jan. 8"]. His father was first violin in the orchestra and 'chapel' of that town (not a singer as stated by Fétis). In his earliest youth Piatti had the advantage of the instruction of his grand uncle Zanetti, an excellent musician and performer; and he began playing in the orchestra at the age of seven. On Zanetti's death he was accepted at the Milan Conservatoire in 1832, studied under Merighi, and made his public appearance as a solo performer in 1837.
In 1844 Piatti came to England, where he has since resided during the musical season. He made his first appearance at a concert of the Philharmonic Society on June 24, 1844, in a concertino by Kummer, his performance of which at once established his claim to be ranked as an artist of extraordinary excellence.
It is of interest to mention that at this same concert Mendelssohn played Beethoven's PF. Concerto in G immediately before Piatti appeared; in spite of which the young violoncellist obtained an unqualified success. Mendelssohn played with him several times in private during this visit, and is said to have completed the first movement of a concerto for violoncello and orchestra for him. The MS. however, has not been found. [See Mendelssohn, ii. 285 a.] The instrument[1] (Nicolas Amati) he then used had been presented to him by Liszt. The 'Times' thus spoke of his first appearance. 'Piatti is a masterly player on the violoncello. In tone, which foreign artists generally want, he is equal to Lindley in his best days; his execution is rapid, diversified, and certain, and a false note never by any chance is to be heard.'
This criticism has been more than justified by Piatti's career, so well known to the musical world of England, and it is not too much to say that he has a reputation surpassed by that of no other musical artist. With an absolute command over all the technical difficulties of his instrument Piatti combines a faultless intonation and a rare purity of tone which, without any apparent exertion, never fails to sufficiently assert itself in the most delicate passages, while the exquisite taste with which he 'phrases' invests the simplest melody with infinite charm. Ever since their commencement in 1859 he has held the post of violoncellist at the well-known Monday and Saturday Popular Concerts, and has perhaps contributed as much as any artist to their deserved success.
Signor Piatti is also a composer of no mean merit. A concertino and two concertos for violoncello with orchestra, and also some graceful songs with violoncello obbligato, are among his most important original works. He has also done good service in arranging and bringing into notice many forgotten sonatas by Veracini, Valentini, Locatelli, Boccherini, and other writersfor stringed instruments of the 18th century.
[ T. P. H. ]
PIATTI (plates), the Italian equivalent for cymbals. It is the term by which the cymbals are usually designated in a score. 'Senza piatti' indicates that the bass-drum is to be played alone without the cymbals.
[ V. de P. ]
PIBROCH (Gaelic Piobaireachd, a pipe tune). A series of variations for the bagpipe, founded on a theme called the urlar. Pibrochs are the highest form of bagpipe music, and are often very difficult to execute properly. The variations, generally three or four in number, increase in difficulty and speed, until the composition concludes with a creanluidh, or quick movement. Like all bagpipe music, pibrochs are not written in any proper scale, and it is impossible to note
- ↑ Now in the possession of the writer of this notice.
