DOI Heft:
No. 375 (June 1924)
DOI Artikel:Valotaire, Marcel: The piano as a modern piece of furniture
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21399#0342
THE PIANO AS A MODERN PIECE
OF FURNITURE. 000
OWING to the spread of musical cul-
ture among the middle classes in the
nineteenth century, and also under the
influence of a fashion with which we are
not here concerned, the piano, as a musical
instrument complete and self-sufficient,
has become very popular ; and there are
few drawing-rooms, even of the most
modest kind, in which it does not occupy
the place of honour as the most important
piece of furniture. For we have to take into
account that the piano is not only an instru-
ment but also a piece of furniture, which
many people possess, not for use but for
ornament, and which, as their sole valuable
of this nature, is indicative of a certain
standard of comfort. 000
But, leaving aside the instrument as an
instrument, can any reader remember
seeing a piano which was really an asset
to the sum-total of a decorative interior {
The matter is worse than this, however,
for in considering those of the late nine-
teenth century, we seldom if ever find one
which gives evidence of forethought in its
design. Mouldings of all kinds, veneered
in haphazard fashion, on sides of varnished
wood, consoles of almost incredible banality,
handles at the sides, and gilt bronze candle-
sticks on the front seem to be necessary
parts of their make-up, and the “ piano-
PIANO IN FUMED OAK AND SYCA-
MORE, DESIGNED FOR MESSRS.
PLEYEL BY A. CHANAUX
PIANO DESIGNED FOR
MESSRS. GAVEAU
BY PAUL POIRET
stool”is the finishing-touch to this pride and
ambition of the small suburban drawing-
room. In common justice it must be ad-
mitted that in England many of these
errors of taste have been avoided, but in
Germany and France one might well give
the palm for pretentiousness and ugliness
in furnishing to the piano. And it is curious
to note that in the strong movement for
improvement in decoration which arose
shortly before the end of last century, no
attempt seems to have been made to adapt
the design and decoration of the piano to
modern decorative schemes. In looking
through modern interiors you will find
the dining-room, drawing-room, smoke-
room and bedrooms all “ up-to-date,” in
every way bearing the stamp of present-
day ideas : but the piano, you will find,
is “ behind the times.” 000
The root cause of this state of affairs is that
the piano differs from other furniture in
being an instrument as well, and, as such,
possessing somewhat complicated technical
needs in respect of shape and arrangement.
The cabinet-maker who is constructing
a table can give a good deal of rein to his
imagination, so long as he retains the flat
surface of a certain size which is the table’s
raison d’etre (no very serious limitation,
this) ; but the cabinet-work of a piano is
really the clothing of a piece of mechanism
whose shape, being the outcome of tech-
nical needs, can in no wise be altered. The
only solution to the problem would be the
323
OF FURNITURE. 000
OWING to the spread of musical cul-
ture among the middle classes in the
nineteenth century, and also under the
influence of a fashion with which we are
not here concerned, the piano, as a musical
instrument complete and self-sufficient,
has become very popular ; and there are
few drawing-rooms, even of the most
modest kind, in which it does not occupy
the place of honour as the most important
piece of furniture. For we have to take into
account that the piano is not only an instru-
ment but also a piece of furniture, which
many people possess, not for use but for
ornament, and which, as their sole valuable
of this nature, is indicative of a certain
standard of comfort. 000
But, leaving aside the instrument as an
instrument, can any reader remember
seeing a piano which was really an asset
to the sum-total of a decorative interior {
The matter is worse than this, however,
for in considering those of the late nine-
teenth century, we seldom if ever find one
which gives evidence of forethought in its
design. Mouldings of all kinds, veneered
in haphazard fashion, on sides of varnished
wood, consoles of almost incredible banality,
handles at the sides, and gilt bronze candle-
sticks on the front seem to be necessary
parts of their make-up, and the “ piano-
PIANO IN FUMED OAK AND SYCA-
MORE, DESIGNED FOR MESSRS.
PLEYEL BY A. CHANAUX
PIANO DESIGNED FOR
MESSRS. GAVEAU
BY PAUL POIRET
stool”is the finishing-touch to this pride and
ambition of the small suburban drawing-
room. In common justice it must be ad-
mitted that in England many of these
errors of taste have been avoided, but in
Germany and France one might well give
the palm for pretentiousness and ugliness
in furnishing to the piano. And it is curious
to note that in the strong movement for
improvement in decoration which arose
shortly before the end of last century, no
attempt seems to have been made to adapt
the design and decoration of the piano to
modern decorative schemes. In looking
through modern interiors you will find
the dining-room, drawing-room, smoke-
room and bedrooms all “ up-to-date,” in
every way bearing the stamp of present-
day ideas : but the piano, you will find,
is “ behind the times.” 000
The root cause of this state of affairs is that
the piano differs from other furniture in
being an instrument as well, and, as such,
possessing somewhat complicated technical
needs in respect of shape and arrangement.
The cabinet-maker who is constructing
a table can give a good deal of rein to his
imagination, so long as he retains the flat
surface of a certain size which is the table’s
raison d’etre (no very serious limitation,
this) ; but the cabinet-work of a piano is
really the clothing of a piece of mechanism
whose shape, being the outcome of tech-
nical needs, can in no wise be altered. The
only solution to the problem would be the
323