Trute Square Piano

Trute Square Piano

This has a basic Zumpe action with single escapement and lever overdampers. The wrest plank with tuning pins sits at the back of the instrument, and the hitch pins at the right side of the case attached to brass hitchpin plate. The strings extend from the back of the instrument to the right of the case. The stringing is bichord throughout its compass. The dampers rest between the strings. There is one hand lever for the buff stop on the left side. Detachable stand with original wheels. The stand has square, tapered legs which is typical of the style found in the 1790s. Has a scalloped skirt with contrasting woods and inlays on its frame. The original tuning hammer is located inside the keyboard. There is a music stand (not original) attached to the nameboard.

Keys are small; naturals (length 11.4 cm, width 2.1 cm), sharps (length 7.2 cm, width 0.7 cm). While Broadwood patented his design for placing the tuning pins at the back of the piano in 1783, this piano is proof that Trute had already been using that design for at least two years before the patent.

1781

10/26/19 11:47

Cole, Michael. Broadwood Square Pianos. Cheltenham: Tatchley Books, 2005.

Gift of Claudia Lyon (Vassar Alumna 1924) in 1988.

26 Wardour Street, Soho, London

Charles Trute (alternative spellings Truitt, Trutt and Truit)

Length 108 cm; Width 48.5 cm; Height (with stand) 80.5 cm

Four and a half octaves; C-f3; 54 keys

Keyboard

Front side of the nameboard: Carolus Trute, Londini fecit 1781 (written in ink); Back side of the nameboard: Carolus Trute (written in pencil); Keys: Numbers corresponding to key order. Ranging 1 to 52, last two keys 01 & 02 (written in ink)

The instrument is overall in a good state of preservation, while some parts have been replaced during some sort of restoration. Details on this will be noted in the restoration section. The dust-cover and top damper for f3 is missing, some dampers do not function properly. Formerly had a diagonal brace across the bottom that has since been removed. It is unknown when this was removed.

Charles Trute was one of several piano-makers in London during the mid-18th century, along with Zumpe, Broadwood, Pohlman, Ganer, Southwell, and others. He stayed in London from 1780 to 1789, but as competition among makers heightened he emigrated to America among several other makers such as Charles Taws and Thomas Dodds. Trute created a harpsichord and pianoforte shop in Philadelphia working in partnership with his cousin (?) Trute Weidberg (or Wiedberg) at some point between 1790 and 1794. Soon after, the two of them bought land north of Wilmington, Delaware and relocated there. After successfully applying for a tavern license, Trute managed the Swan Inn, located on the Philadelphia Pike, as a way to supplement his income. It has been noted that records and workmanship of his pianos demonstrate his dedication to piano-making during his innkeeping. While Trute Weidberg died in 1803, Trute continued the business with his wife and daughter until his own death in 1807.

Karl Rabe

KH, GK, SR

Ivory (naturals), ebony (sharps), most likely mahogany and satinwood

Vassar Treasure Room

The music stand is a modern replacement, while there is speculation that the dampers and soundboard are as well. Some of the weights in the keys have been replaced. Key denoted 02 appears to be a new key (unsure). Red felt on strings by hitchpins to dampen strings is also a replacement.