CBH Viennese fortepiano action

• Always read the accompanying technical description!

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Carey Beebe demonstrating the Viennese fortepiano action on a Stein action model built by Philip Belt, New Haven CT 1984.

The distinguishing feature of the Viennese action is the suspension of the leather-covered hammer in a fork (called the kapsel), set into the rear of the key. When the key is depressed, the beak end of the hammer shank catches under the hook of the sprung prell lever. The hammer is allowed to travel almost all the way to the string, and at the last minute the prell flips back and the beak leather slides up the face of the prell, effecting the escapement. The hammer rebounds from the string, and (in later actions) is caught by the leather of the backcheck until such time as the key is released, allowing the whole cycle to be repeated.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• fortepiano
• pianoforte
• piano
• forte
• Hammerklavier
• Hammerflügel
• hammarklaver
• 古鋼琴
• フォルテピアノ
• 포르테피아노
• Viennese
• Stein
• hpschdnu
• Mozart

[DagMusic96]

How does the pick to play only once?

[hpschdnu]

@DagMusic96 Any keyboard instrument action must only play once when the player depresses the key. Here, when the hammer rebounds from the string, it is firmly caught by the backcheck.

[ZachariasHildebrandt]

What an ingenious design. It's a wonder this brilliantly simple design didn't stay around for longer. I suppose it lacks great power but i'd argue many modern pianos are too loud anyway for amateur music making.

[hpschdnu]

Actually, by the late eighteenth-century the piano had two distinct streams, one of which survived to the present day. The latest piano I have seen with the Viennese action was 1925. The action which evolved from the English system can play louder.

[eFFeeMMe]

@qwaqwa1960 Seconded! Please make such a video, it would be very instructional in my humble opinion.

[tunglour]

This action is way simpler than Cristofori's, I think

[tunglour]

Ha, who needs double escapement with such a shallow depression?

[sosna00]

beautiful!

[qwaqwa1960]

Neat. Would be interesting to hear a range of dynamic, all the way down to nothing (hammer escapes without hitting string).

How about a trill!

[mason104]

Cool! Thanks.