I discovered today that the 1863, third revised edition of Montal's book was digitized in 2009. Another 100 pages, and more illustrations, bringing it up to date as of that time. Looks like I have a lot more work to do <G>. On Nov 17, 2010, at 6:43 PM, Fred Sturm wrote: > Claude Montal's book from 1836. As I have mentioned in earlier > posts, I am engaged in translating that book, and the end is very > close - five pages left out of 245, for a first draft translation. > End of this week probably. Then I'll go through again and do a more > refined translation. > He has a fairly long chapter on repairs, and a long ending section > on the history of the piano. He writes of Sébastian Erard's double > escapement as something invented five years ago, that may well prove > to be the inventor's masterpiece, if the kinks can be worked out. > Also about Pleyel's experiment cross-veneering a spruce soundboard > with mahogany veneer, which he finds improves the tone (and another > maker gluing panels with two layers of spruce, cross grained). > Pape's attempts to make a successful downward striking action. Fine > tuning inventions involving a pressure screw. Fascinating stuff - > well, for me anyway. > I'd like to make this translation available in some way. I'll make > some efforts in the way of having it published, whether hard copy or > e-book - though I don't really have time to do a lot in that > direction - and if nothing else will simply post files somewhere. > But meanwhile, if anyone would like files of the draft translation, > contact me off list and I'll send them along. I have separate Word > files for each chapter or section, and there are 22 in all at 1.2 Mb > total. Regards, Fred Sturm fssturm at unm.edu "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." Twain
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