. Musical instruments . ry, and which has now obtained so great a popularity ;its characteristics inspired our great composers to the in-vention of effects, or expressions, which cannot be properlyrendered on any other instrument, however superior in somerespects it may be to the pianoforte. Thus also tlie im-provements which have been made during the present centuryin the construction of our brass instruments, and tlic in-vention of several new brass instruments, have evidentlybeen not without influence upon the conceptions displayed inour modern orchestral works. Imperfect though this essay
. Musical instruments . ry, and which has now obtained so great a popularity ;its characteristics inspired our great composers to the in-vention of effects, or expressions, which cannot be properlyrendered on any other instrument, however superior in somerespects it may be to the pianoforte. Thus also tlie im-provements which have been made during the present centuryin the construction of our brass instruments, and tlic in-vention of several new brass instruments, have evidentlybeen not without influence upon the conceptions displayed inour modern orchestral works. Imperfect though this essay may be it will probably haveconvinced the reader that a reference to the history of themusic of different nations elucidates many facts illustrativeof our own musical instruments, which to the unpreparedobserver must appear misty and impenetrable. In truth,it is with this study as with any otlicr scientific unassisted eye sees only faint , where with the aidof the telescope bright stars are y. APPENDIX. Handels Hakpshhord. The following documentary evidence of this instrumentsauthenticity as Handels harpsichord (Fig. yS) has been trans-mitted by Messrs. Broadwood :— 33, Great Pulteney Street, London,November i8lh, 1868. Handels harpsichord was bought by us of Mr. Hooper, apianoforte tuner at Winchester, in 1852. He had obtained itfrom Dr. Chard, the Cathedral organist of that city, who hadtaken pains to prove it to be the same instrument whicliHandel had left by will to his friend and amanuensis, Chris-topher Smith. In Handels will, dated June, 1750, was thel)equest :— I give and bequeath to Christopher Smith mylarge harpsichord, my little house-organ, my music books,and 500/. sterling ; and in a codicil, dated 6th of August,1756 : I give to Christopher Smith 1,500^. additional to thelegacy already given to him in my will. Dr. Chard wrote tothe Rev. George Coxe, of Twyford (Rector of St. Michaels,Winchester), to obtain his testimony to the ide
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