Open now through April 2018, NAMM’s Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California will present “Unseen Artists: Sights & Insights from the Piano Technicians Guild.”
The new display explores the unique role of piano technicians, and features three historically significant pianos from the 18th and 19th centuries that highlight the creative construction of these handcrafted instruments.
“For many centuries the piano has been an enduring musical centerpiece of American gatherings and storytelling,” said Carolyn Grant, executive director of the MoMM. “Many who visit this display will hear of the unsung tacticians behind these timeless musical instruments for the first time, and we do hope they find this historical journey of piano craftsmanship both intriguing and educational.”
Located near the entrance to the Museum, the new display will offer an exploration of the piano technician’s world of tuning, voicing, regulating, and rebuilding pianos. Discover the vintage and modern tools of their trade and the meticulous work that keeps pianos of all types in top shape. Guests can also explore the mechanics of piano keys through a hands-on modular display of the functions of a single piano key.
The spotlight display also marks the San Diego-area debut of the 1841 Chickering piano that belonged to the famous actress Laura Keene, and the very piano present in Ford’s Theatre the night President Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865. As one of the earliest upright pianos made in the United States, it contains a hybrid of French, English, and American designs with diagonal strings, inspired by earlier French pianos. The action has the characteristically English over damper system (often referred to as “bird cage”). However, its cast iron plate was an American invention, which had not yet been adopted by European manufacturers.
The uniquely-shaped square Buntebart piano, which helped to replace the harpsichord by the end of the 18th century, and the 1827 upright Soufléto “bridge” piano, copied from a wildly popular design made by French piano firm Roller et Blanchet, will also be shown.
“Unseen Artists: Sights & Insights from the Piano Technicians Guild” will be on display until April 30.
