had one of her
best pianos at his disposal. In a letter to "Nanette," as she was
called, he wrote: "Perhaps you do not know that though I have not always
had one of your pianos, since 1809 I have invariably preferred them."

As late as 1882 there was a grand piano at Windsor Castle which bore
the name of Nanette Stein, Maker. It belonged to Queen Victoria.

Clementi may be considered the first legitimate writer for the piano.
All the great masters, including Scarlatti, Handel, Bach, and Haydn (in
his first compositions), were written for the clavichord. So when
listening to the classics they have left for us, we must remember the
limitations of the instruments upon which they played and for which they
wrote. Probably no one has realized this fact more keenly than the late
Mr. Morris Steinert, of New Haven, Conn. He spent the best years of his
life (to say nothing of his fortune) in collecting the rare and valuable
instruments which he presented to Yale College.

Mr. Steinert not only searched for these treasures all over Europe, but
he had them restored and played upon them, thus giving to the world the
long-forgotten sounds and showing, by the only method possible, just how
the great masters played. During the World's Fair the Steinert
collection was in the Manufacturers' Building, the center of attraction
for music lovers. His experiences were most interesting in obtaining
some of the rarest specimens. For instance, a harpsichord with the date
1710 on its case was found broken and dust-covered in an attic in
Vienna. It had two keyboards, tortoise-shell naturals and ivory sharps.
It had eight stops, one imitating the lute and one the flute. The
sounding board was elaborately painted with flowers and other
decorative symbols, while the inside lid was ornate with strictly
Japanese art.

The dearly loved "Nanette Stein" piano, Beethoven's much prized
possession, is in Mr. Steinert's collection. America is the home of many
priceless pianos. In this same group we find an instrument once
belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte. To be correct, it is a harpsichord, and
it was given to a French sergeant when the fallen monarch was banished
to St. Helena. The Frenchman came to America and gave the harpsichord to
Simon Bates, of Scituate Harbor Light, Mass., from whose heirs Mr.
Steinert purchased it. Claviers, dulcimers, spinets, and harpsichords,
belonging once upon a time to Bach, Haydn, and Mozart, are in this
famous collection.