Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/528

512 interest to trace the various changes, modifications, and improvements which the zither, as now known, has undergone, but we may safely adopt the Darwinian theory with regard to it, as there can be no doubt that the modern zither is as superior to the ancient kithara as man is to his remote ancestor. To proceed, therefore, to the description of the instrument as constructed about half a century back, when it became a favourite amongst the peasantry of the Styrian and Bavarian Alps. To the shallow sounding-box and mode of fastening the strings in the ancient instrument, a finger-board was added with frets, representing chromatic and diatonic intervals. At this period the highest number of accompaniment and bass strings seldom exceeded a dozen, while the finger-board had only three strings—these of metal. It was due to the efforts of Petzmayer, an Austrian peasant and natural musician, that the zither, despite its simplicity, came into public notice, as he played his native Ländler (a species ofcountrydance music) in most of the principal continental theatres and concert-halls, always with great success. Like, and others, Petzmayer was a born musician who, without education and by the mere force of native genius, produced the greatest effects from the simplest materials. The writer of this article can testify to the fact that in his hands the zither was invested with a charm to which few could be insensible, and had that kind of attractiveness which was truly characteristic. Thus the zither gained a slight footing in the musical world, and as a natural consequence Petzmayer was succeeded by other players, who claimed to rank higher in the scale of art. They turned their attention to increasing the capacities of the instrument, and with a view to this began to add more strings both to tire fingerboard and accompaniment. This, while affording a wider scope to the player, did not increase the carrying power of the zither, a want which made itself felt when the instrument became a favourite in England, where it was first introduced about the year 1850, chiefly by the writer of this article, a native of Dresden. It would occupy too much space to attempt a description of the numerous alterations to which the zither has been subjected during the past twenty years, nor would it be of much profit to give a detailed account of these changes, inasmuch as none of them supplied the desired increase of tone.

The above drawing represents the Arion zither, which is, without doubt, up to the present time, the most powerful zither as well as the most elegant in structure. It owes its origin to the writer, and Schunda of Buda-Pest was the first manufacturer who carried out the idea. The improvement consists in the more suitable shape of the resonance-box and in the method of fastening the strings. The use of a bridge across the instrument acts as in the violin, and brings the vibrations of the strings into closer connection with the sounding-board.

The stringing of the zither is as follows:—

The two A strings are of steel, the D of brass, the G of steel covered with silver wire, the C of brass covered with copper wires.

The strings marked with an asterisk are of gut, the rest are made of silk overspun with silver wire, and some few with copper wire, the diversity of colour helping to assist the eye of the player. Some professors in Germany are not content with less than 40 or even 46 strings, but as the additional strings lie beyond the range of the hand, and can therefore only be used in very slow tempo, they are of little practical advantage, and only tend to increase the size of the instrument.

In most zithers made in Vienna the fingerboard strings are tuned as follows:—

This is considered by Viennese players an advantageous disposition of the strings, especially in playing Ländlers; but for classical music it would be found a great hindrance.

Three kinds of zithers are in use, varying in length of strings and consequently in pitch. These are—(1) The Treble zither tuned to concert-pitch; (2) the Concert zither a tone below, whilst (3) the Elegie zither will only stand a third or even a fourth below concert-pitch.

In playing the zither the thumbs of both hands are used, also the first, second, and third fingers, but in few cases is either of the fourth