Tangentenflügel

Tangentenflügel keyboard instr. the invention of which is attributed to Jacob Späth the younger of Regensburg, made from ca. 1770 on. Its exterior is indistinguishable from that of a grand piano, but the action differs and is far simpler: wooden tangents resting on the rear of the keys are thrust against the strings by movement of the keys. This principle was not new, as one of the harpsichord models submitted by Jean Marius to the Académie des Sciences in 1716 had a similar action, and a piano…