The toy piano, also known as the kinderklavier (child's keyboard), is a small piano-like musical instrument. The present form of the toy piano was invented in Philadelphia by a 17-year-old German immigrant named Albert Schoenhut. He worked as a repairman at Wanamaker's department store, repairing broken glass sounding pieces in German toy pianos damaged in shipping. Schoenhut conceived of the toy piano as it is known today in 1872, when he substituted durable steel plates for the traditional fragile glass bars.
Read more about Toy Piano: Characteristics, History, Use in Musical Performance
Other articles related to "piano, toy piano, toy, toy pianos":
... The piano's capability is illustrated in 1965's A Charlie Brown Christmas ... plays it in the style of a conventional piano, then manages to generate the warm tones of a Hammond organ, but Lucy cannot recognize the tune until the now-irritated ... in the history of the television specials that his toy piano ever actually sounds like a toy piano ...
... Chén Líng) is a classical music artist known for her work as a professional toy pianist, performing in major cities around the world on her 51 cm-high toy pianos ... music performer using unconventional instruments like toy drums, soy sauce dishes, and cat-food cans ... In 1961 the young Tan took first place in the Singapore-Malaysia annual piano competition, and won a scholarship to study at The Juilliard School at age 16 in the ...
... Though originally made as a child's toy, the toy piano has been used in serious classical and contemporary musical contexts ... The most famous example is the "Suite for Toy Piano" (1948) by John Cage ... Steve Beresford has used toy pianos (along with many other toy instruments) in his improvised music ...
Famous quotes containing the words piano and/or toy:
“It is not always possible to predict the response of a doting Jewish mother. Witness the occasion on which the late piano virtuoso Oscar Levant telephoned his mother with some important news. He had proposed to his beloved and been accepted. Replied Mother Levant: “Good, Oscar, I’m happy to hear it. But did you practice today?””
—Liz Smith (20th century)
“In the great department store of life, baseball is the toy department.”
—Los Angeles Sportscaster. quoted in Independent Magazine (London, Sept. 28, 1991)