SORDINI, MutesIt will be noticed that the metaphors at the root of the Italian and English terms are deafness in the one case and dumbness in the other. or Dampers (Fr. Sourdine; Ger. Dämpfer. The term occurs in Senza sordini; Con sordini). The violin Sordino has been described and figured under Mute, and some further remarks are given below.
In the pianoforte the contrivance is called in English the damper. The first pianofortes, as we find Cristofori's and Silbermann's,...