German square pianos

Square pianos are pianos with horizontal strings and  a (usually) rectangular case comparable to virginals but also the clavichord. The resemblances are obvious and square pianos inherited the domestic functions of the former. German square pianos of the 18th century were often very small and carefully decorated pieses of furniture so the square by  Johann Socher 1742 or the widespread "harp style" instruments of the workshop Schmahl of Ulm. The technical features of the diverse makers vary in many ways, and there has been a lot of experimenting at the beginning.

There were numerous variations in shaping and intonations of the hammers; often these seem to have been blank without amy leather covers. The hard attack of the wooden hammer rich of high frequencies and noisy obviously has been desired  as the instrument in those days was understood as a keyed version of the concert dulcimer „Pantalon“ of the famous Saxon virtuoso Pantaleon Hebenstreit and tried to imitate the sound of his dulcimer (itself lost).

The more, however,  piano makers tried to align squares and grands the dimensions grew considerably but their domestic suitability got lost more and more. Some late 19th c. squares almost take the place of a grand without ever achieving a grand's sound character and qualities.

But before  1800 the squares had their sympathizers and even after 1800 many a composer had a (smaller) square, easier to transport and occupying little space. Franz Schubert's square took just about 1. 5 m in width and less than a meter in depth. These instruments were of course not capable of any sound miracles but served their purpose well as a kind of desk with keyboard and strings.