5 ; (IA NBONATO, H .. Fortepiano~‘THE GRANGER HOMESTEAD AND CARRIAGE MUSEUM. 295 North Main Street Canandaigs, New York ‘The Granges Homestead and Carriage Muscum isan historic 1816 Federal sje ‘mansion, bul by Gideon Geangor,Postmastr General othe United Sates fam 1800 fo 1813 undo peesidonts Thomas Jefferson and James Madison ‘Anestls sth-centry gran panofarte graces the noth parlor ofthe Granger mansion Ii is an example of arate model manuferied in London athe faciory owned by ‘composer and vos pint Muzio Cement, This instrument sone of any ovo kh examples of Clement grand pianoires with the unique “harmon swell” tachment td the only documented insrumet ofthis type inthe United Sates. Bdward E, Swenson and ‘yan Miles restored the instrameat in 2007 “The Granger Homestead is open for guided tours and special events throughout he ‘year, Tes aso avilable for metings, weddings, private parties and celebration. The Granger Homestead s open Tuesday trough Sunday frum June trough October, An Adventure in Planofrte Restoration ‘The Granger Homestead's Muzio Clement Panoforte “Manufactured ia London clea 1822 Raward F. Swenson Esoly in 2006 Martane Gallagher the Granger Homestead drctr, asked me > examine an aque grind pianoforte that had lngwished unused for many yeas i he allection. I as antonished to discover thatthe instument was a rare Clemenki grand planfors with harmonic swell tachment built at Clement’ factory in London in 1822 spent a plessant day meting some ofthe Granger volanters and staff, ridying and hotoaraphing the iasrumen, and searching for pat ofthe piano that had gone asay. AUscovered tha the piano was sll in orginal conditon, excep for some steps to replace ew strings and repair broken parts “The Restoration Restoration work heganin the spring of 2006 hen I move the piano from Conan _guato ay workshop an Trumansburg, NY. Inthe cry phase of restoration, all of he paris, {cluding the soundboard, bridges, keys and action pus were cacilly cleaned. Any ‘atria that had tobe removed ad replaced Were lubed and sved for future reference. [New iron and brass sings were made using wire manufactured by Muleolm Rose in England. The ene mechanisn was disssemled and cleaned. Four new hammers and lost pars of te damper system were made t mach mising ps, using eis nthe keyboard as models, The insiamen! was rosssombled, egulted, voieed and ned to A= 415 oe ‘The Three Pedals and The Harmonie Swell ‘The eft pedal shifts the keyboard oa tre "una ord” Using the shi pedal he pianist can produce various shades of softness by playing on one, two or tree sings of the ‘unison, The middle pedal ital the dampers fom the sigs, and the ight pedal activates 8 dovico unique to th Clementi grand called te "harmonic swe.” Patented on March 8, 1821 by Wiliam Frederick Collard, Clomont's parser, tho harmonic swell is a long ‘continuous damper that posioned on the stags between tw bridges. Wien the dampec is lied from the trina allows them to vibrate in sympathy’ with the strings that ate struck bythe hammers, increasing the volume and natural resenaiceof the instrument. Te also caables th player to achieve usual cereal effets. ‘The Cabinet ‘Tho cabinet is made of oak covered with mahogany and rosewood veneer wit brasil. ‘Tho Koyboatd has 78 keys with a range of CC to f°". Clingen Quest Restoration of “Trumansburg accomplished the extensive cabinet repairs and rfiising.Harmonic Swell The fst tme I encountered the Granger Homestead's Clementi pianoforte was in the ‘workshop ofthe restorer Edvard Swenson ia August 2007-1 iked the instrament right way boca of is ich sound, gnorous resonance, easy action, ad highly expressive uals [At my fist concert a the Granger Homestaad muscur in Canandaigua, the piano sounded even better after te complete restoration, Th audience seamed captivated by the (Clements unusual Beauty of sound, Mio Clements eomandic Sonat in F minor sounds porfot on this instrument. Although the piece was writen in 179, i ean sill be played consincinaly on an 1822 grand pianoforte, The first and second moverents are ‘ey lyre wih many precise indcatios fr dynamics and phrasing. The second move nent, Lento pts, ian ealyexarple of a descriptive term (puletic) being dad 0 4 tempo ination by an {St-eenury composer Stylistic, i Foresadows @ mene Iyscal 19 contry style. Like the Toeata op. the dird movement displays one of ‘Clement's most prominent itso fetus rapid double hinds, mentioned by more than ‘one writer as some of the mos ficult and remarkable features of Clement's vitoso Playing. For example (Clement. An Halon. Has composed some set [te of lessons, which abound i passages to peculiar and dificu,that i evident they must have been practiced for years pred ing their publication. We particadariy allude to the successions of octaves With which he fas erumimed hs lesson. eC. excutad these excenigly well and sa most brillant performer (rom the ABCDario Music, Bath, 1780). Another review commen: When you se his fas passages In octaves for one hand, you can belive they are not easy to play: but he always does for more even than is nite ~ octave tls, no less