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This beautiful piano, veneered in the best English tradition, has a range of five and one-half octaves, a rather advanced compass for its time. It is triple-strung throughout, and has two pedals mounted on its trestle stand. The right-hand pedal raises the dampers from the strings, while the left-hand pedal shifts the keyboard slightly to the right so that the hammers strike only one (una corda) rather than two (due corde) strings for each note. The large label visible on the soundboard reads: "By special appointment to H[is] M[ajesty] King George III."
Broadwood was for many years England's largest piano maker, and the company's pianos were famous for a big tone. In 1817 the company presented a grand piano to Beethoven. This Broadwood grand dates from the year of one of Haydn's visits to London, and is the type of instrument for which he wrote his last piano sonatas and trios.
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Credit Line: Gift of Hugo Worch
Object ID: MI*303530
Division: Division of Music, Sports and Entertainment
Subject(s): Music & Musical Instruments
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