Just a wee bit more about Montal, for those interested. There is an article about him in the Routledge Encyclopedia of the Piano with some details I didn't know. In 1834, he very quickly wrote (dictated) and published a short book on piano tuning, to forestall one of his students who was about to publish a book based on Montal's method. This 1834 book was translated into German and appeared in 1835 (and apparently Rosamund Harding found a copy). In 1836, Montal completed and published a much more substantial book, with details about repairs and adjustments, and about the latest developments in piano manufacture and design. This book was re-issued in several editions over the next decade or two. The same article talks a little about Montal's career as a piano manufacturer and inventor. One interesting tidbit: he used Erard's double escapement action in his square pianos. I've never seen such a thing in a square, other than a Mathuschek spinet grand of the mid 20th century. Perhaps it was different in Europe. And a biography of Montal was published in 1857, eight years before his death. All of this attests to his importance in the piano world of Paris during his lifetime. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico fssturm at unm.edu
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