Bells in Piano

[Philip Jamison]

The Schoninger Bell Organ was a fairly successful design in the late 19th 
century. I've seen several of these reed organs which have a special stop 
which plays a set of nested saucer bells. This firm also made a piano with 
the same bells. There seem to be more of the organs surviving, however. In 
the 1880s, I believe reed organs outsold pianos. I saw another upright piano 
in a Bristol. England auction a few years ago. It had a stop to play a set 
of orchestra bells along with the piano strings. Early pianos had all sorts 
of off pedal-actuated effects from triangles and drums to organ reeds. One 
piano beat the soundboard for a percussive effect. Great for orchestral 
transcriptions!

Philip Jamison
West Chester, PA

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