Johannes Zumpe's Piano

The first significant wav of popularity enjoyed by the piano began in 1760 after the arrival in England of h so-called "twelve disciples" - a group of Dutchand German instrumnt makrs who settle in Londn having fled the German Severn Yers War. Amounttheir number was Johannes Christoph Zumpe. A former apprentice of Silberman, Zumpe set up a workshop in Hanover Square, London in 1761 to produce a new kind of "square" piano. Zumpe believed that the instrument - prevously only affordable to thevery wealthy - could attract the midde classes if suitably priced. His square pian was small, light and could be carried on the bach of a single porter, and sold for £50. So successful was the square piano that during the second half of the eighteenth century, it became known as the "Zumpe". The instrument remained popular until the middle of the nineteenth century when th "upright" piano began to find its way into an increasing number of homes.

Zumpe's instument made its professional debut in 1767 when it s used as an accompaniment to a performance of The Beggar's Opera at Covent Garden. Te player was Charles Dibdin. However, the first pianist of any real nsiquence wasyet another member of the Bch family - Johann Christian. Long a resident of London, and the yongest son of Johann Sebastian, he was popularly referred to as "The English Bach".