Friederici
1745 (date of his action)
inventor of early upright piano action
Biography
Friederici is credited by Dolge with building an upright piano action in 1745, an early landmark in the development of the upright piano's mechanism. Dolge notes that Hipkins compared the action to an old German clock movement, and suggests it is quite possible Friederici copied the design directly from a clock. According to Dolge, nothing of importance followed in upright action design until the appearance of the cheap English 'sticker' action, whose only merit was cheapness and which contributed to the early unpopularity of the upright piano.
Highlights
- Built an upright piano action in 1745, compared by Hipkins to an old German clock movement
- Dolge states nothing of importance followed in upright action design until the cheap English 'sticker' action
Source
Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), pp. 90, 91.
Public domain.