John Broadwood

Biography

Born at Cockburns, Scotland, in 1732, John Broadwood came to London about 1752 as a joiner and found his way into Shudi's harpsichord shop, rising into partnership (the firm becoming Shudi & Broadwood) and marrying Shudi's daughter in 1759, after which Shudi retired. Broadwood took Shudi's son into partnership before assuming sole control again in 1783. A man of exceptional ability, he associated closely with inventors Americus Backers and Stodart and kept open house for musicians and artists at 33 Great Poulteney Street. When reconstructing the square piano he consulted scientists Dr. Gray and Cavallo of the British Museum on acoustics rather than experimenting empirically alone. He admitted son James Shudi Broadwood to partnership in 1795 (firm renamed John Broadwood & Son) and son Thomas in 1808 (renamed John Broadwood & Sons). He died in 1812. John Broadwood is mentioned as the London piano maker who sent Ludwig van Beethoven one of his improved grand pianos. Despite Beethoven's sincere friendship with Nannette Stein-Streicher, who had built him a larger grand piano, he wrote to Broadwood in London praising the instrument in famously effusive terms, describing it as an altar upon which he would place the most beautiful offerings of his spirit to the divine Apollo. No further biographical detail, dates, or additional context about Broadwood himself is provided in this excerpt. John Broadwood is noted as having built his first grand piano in 1781, shortly after Stodart's introduction of the "Grand Pianoforte." The text gives no further detail about him at this point beyond this date and achievement, situating him among the early English builders of the grand piano. John Broadwood of London is noted as bringing out his own square piano in 1771, following the earlier square pianos built by Johannes Zumpe. From Spillane (1890): John Broadwood was the founder of the London piano house that carried his family name into later generations, described by Spillane as "Broadwood the First." He rose in the estimation of his employer Tschudi to the point of marrying Tschudi's daughter, becoming his partner and eventual successor in the business. In 1780 Broadwood undertook revolutionary changes to the square piano, moving the pin-block (wrest-plank) from the front of the case to the back and reworking the scaling and stringing to suit the new arrangement. Encouraged by this success, he pursued further innovations, including an extension of the pianoforte's keyboard compass and the introduction of the damper and soft pedals. Recognizing that acoustic science could improve piano construction, he enlisted the scientists Cavallo and Dr. Grey of the British Museum, and with their counsel established the laws of "striking distance" governing hammer adjustment, later adopting a method of building the upper bridge to give hammers the best striking point for tone quality. His workshop was regarded in its early years as a "house of mystery," its innovations eagerly copied throughout the trade.

Highlights

• Brought out a square piano in London in 1771, following Zumpe's example
• Built his first grand piano in 1781
• Joined Shudi's harpsichord shop, became his partner and married his daughter in 1759, later assuming sole control of the firm
• Reconstructed the square piano, consulting British Museum scientists Dr. Gray and Cavallo on acoustics
• Brought sons James Shudi and Thomas into the firm, which was renamed John Broadwood & Sons by 1808
• Sent Beethoven one of his improved grand pianos from London
• Prompted Beethoven's famous letter calling the piano an altar for offerings to Apollo
• Founded the London piano house that carried his family name into later generations.
• Married his patron Tschudi's daughter, becoming his partner and eventual successor in the business.
• In 1780 relocated the wrest-plank from front to back of the square piano, extended the keyboard compass, and introduced the damper and soft pedals.

Sources

Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), pp. 48, 59, 244, 245.

Daniel Spillane, History of the American Pianoforte (1890), pp. 21, 22.

Public domain.