A fortepiano [ˌfɔrteˈpjaːno] is an early type of piano. The word "fortepiano" can refer to any piano made from the time the instrument was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1700 up to the early 1800s. Usually, it describes pianos made between the mid-1700s and early 1800s, which were used by composers from the Classical era, such as Haydn and Mozart, to write their piano music. Sometimes, the works of Beethoven and Schubert are also considered fortepiano music.

Starting in the late 1700s, the fortepiano gradually changed over time. By the late 1800s, it had evolved into the modern grand piano. The older fortepiano was no longer used for many years. In the late 1900s, interest in historically accurate performances grew, and the fortepiano was revived. Today, fortepianos are made in special workshops to meet the needs of these performances.

Construction

The fortepiano has hammers covered with leather and strings that are thin, similar to those found in a harpsichord. Its case is lighter and simpler than that of a modern piano. Except for some models from the early 1800s (which were beginning to resemble modern pianos), it does not have a metal frame or support structures. The action and hammers are lighter, making the keyboard easier to play. Well-made fortepianos can also show a wide range of dynamics.

When the fortepiano was first created, it had a range of about four octaves. Over time, this range increased. Mozart composed his piano music for instruments with about five octaves. Beethoven’s piano works show a growing range, with his final compositions written for instruments with about six and a half octaves. Modern pianos, which reached a range of 7 + 1⁄3 octaves in the 19th century, have a much larger range.

From the beginning, fortepianos often included ways to change how sound resonates, similar to the pedals on modern pianos. These devices were not always pedals; sometimes they used hand controls or knee levers instead.

Sound

The fortepiano, like the modern piano, can change the loudness of each note based on how the player presses the keys. However, the sound of the fortepiano is different from the modern piano. It is softer, and the sound does not last as long. Sforzando accents are more noticeable on the fortepiano because they sound different in both loudness and type of sound, and they fade quickly.

The fortepiano also has different sound qualities in different parts. The low notes may sound slightly buzzy, the very high notes may sound like tinkling bells, and the middle notes are more rounded, similar to the modern piano. In contrast, modern pianos have a more consistent sound throughout all their ranges.

History

The piano was created by a harpsichord maker named Bartolomeo Cristofori in Florence, Italy. The first known record of his invention is in a list from the Medici family, who supported Cristofori, and the list is dated 1700. Cristofori continued improving the instrument until the 1720s, and the three surviving pianos made by him date back to that time.

Cristofori is known today for designing the piano's action, the part that makes the keys work. His action was more precise and effective than some later designs. However, other changes were needed to make the piano work well. Simply attaching his action to a harpsichord would not have produced enough sound. Instead, Cristofori used thicker, tighter strings and a stronger frame than those on harpsichords. Like most later pianos, his instruments had hammers that struck two strings at the same time across the entire keyboard.

Cristofori also added a type of soft pedal to his piano. This pedal made the hammers hit fewer strings, and he used a hand stop to control it. It is unclear if the modern soft pedal came directly from Cristofori's design or was developed separately.

Cristofori's invention became known after an article written by Scipione Maffei in 1711. The article, published in a journal in Venice, included a diagram of the piano's action. The article was later republished in 1719 and translated into German in 1725. This German version may have helped spread the piano to German-speaking countries.

Cristofori's piano was not widely used at first because it was expensive and harder to build than a harpsichord. For a time, only royalty owned pianos. Instruments made by Cristofori or inspired by his design were used in the courts of Portugal and Spain. Queen Maria Barbara of Spain, a student of composer Domenico Scarlatti, owned several pianos. One of the first private individuals to own a piano was the singer Farinelli, who inherited one from Maria Barbara.

The first music written specifically for the piano was published in 1732 by Lodovico Giustini. His work, titled Sonate da cimbalo di piano, was unusual because there was no market for piano music at the time. The instrument was still considered rare.

The piano became more popular after the 1760s, when public performances on the instrument began and more music for the piano was published.

Gottfried Silbermann, a German instrument maker, helped spread the piano to German-speaking countries. He started making pianos based on Cristofori's design around 1730. Silbermann had royal support from Frederick the Great of Prussia, who bought many of his instruments.

Silbermann's early pianos were criticized by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1736. However, later models that Bach saw in 1747 were praised. Some believe Silbermann improved his designs after seeing a real Cristofori piano, not just reading Maffei's article.

Silbermann is credited with creating the first version of the sustain pedal, a device that lifts all the dampers from the strings at once, allowing them to vibrate freely. His version was a hand stop, which could only be used during pauses in the music. Even later, during the Classical era, this feature was mainly used for musical effects.

After Silbermann, other piano makers created simpler designs. Some lacked an escapement, a part that allows the hammer to return to rest when the key is pressed. These simpler designs were used in square pianos but were criticized, as seen in a 1777 letter from Mozart to his father.

One important piano maker after Silbermann was Johann Andreas Stein, who worked in Augsburg, Germany. Stein's pianos had hammers that were positioned differently, with the striking end closer to the player. This design became known as the "Viennese" action and was widely used in Vienna until the mid-1800s. The Viennese action was easier to play than Cristofori's design, requiring less force to press the keys.

Stein treated the wood in his instruments with a special process that made them last longer. This helped his pianos survive, and Mozart praised their quality. Stein's daughter, Nannette Streicher, and her husband continued his business in Vienna. They were friends of Beethoven, and one of his pianos was made by the Streicher family.

Another important Viennese maker was Anton Walter, a friend of Mozart. His pianos had a stronger sound than Stein's. Mozart admired Stein's pianos, but he owned a Walter piano. Haydn also owned a Walter piano, and Beethoven wanted to buy one. Today, Stein and Walter's pianos are used as models for making new instruments.

Conrad Graf, a Viennese maker from 1782 to 1851, built pianos in large numbers. His instruments were played by composers like Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Schumann.

In France, important piano makers during the fortepiano era included Erard, Pleyel (Chopin's favorite), and Boisselot (Liszt's favorite).

In England, the fortepiano began with the work of Johannes Zumpe, a German immigrant who made simple square pianos in the 1760s. His designs were not technologically advanced but were popular because they were inexpensive.

Obsolescence and revival

From the late 1700s, the fortepiano went through many improvements and became the modern piano (for more details, see Piano). The older version of the instrument was no longer made. In the late 1800s, Arnold Dolmetsch, an early music pioneer, built three fortepianos. However, this attempt to bring the instrument back was too early to be widely accepted.

In the second half of the 1900s, interest in period instruments grew, including a renewed focus on the fortepiano. Old fortepianos were repaired, and many new ones were made to match the style of the old ones. Kits for building fortepianos also became available. Builders used knowledge gained from making historical harpsichords to recreate fortepianos. For example, fortepiano pioneer Philip Belt worked for two years as an apprentice for Frank Hubbard, a well-known harpsichord builder. Other builders who made fortepianos included Margaret F. Hood, Rodney Regier, Chris Maene, and Paul McNulty.

Bringing the fortepiano back has allowed musicians to play 18th- and early 19th-century music on the instruments they were originally written for, helping people better understand this music (for more information, see Piano history and musical performance). More music schools now offer classes in playing the fortepiano. There are also several competitions for fortepiano players, such as the MAfestival Brugge and the International Chopin Competition on Chopin era instruments, organized by the Warsaw Chopin Institute.

Modern fortepiano specialists

Many modern performers have become well-known for their fortepiano performances, including Susan Alexander-Max, Paul Badura-Skoda, Pieter-Jan Belder, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Malcolm Bilson, Hendrik Bouman, Ronald Brautigam, Gary Cooper, Jörg Demus, Richard Egarr, Richard Fuller, Laurence Cummings, Vladimir Feltsman, Tuija Hakkila, Christoph Hammer, Robert Hill, Katia and Marielle Labèque, Geoffrey Lancaster, Robert Levin, Alexei Lubimov, Steven Lubin, Bart van Oort, Olga Pashchenko, Andras Schiff, David Schrader, Viviana Sofronitsky, Andreas Staier, Melvyn Tan, Natalia Valentin, and Jos van Immerseel.

Opinions

People have different opinions about how the fortepiano sounds, and these opinions can change depending on the person and the instrument. Here are three examples of opinions about fortepianos:

• "I enjoy listening to music played on real historical instruments, but I believe the fortepiano was one of the least successful instruments and needed improvements. I sometimes find the sound of many fortepianos uncomfortable, even when the performance is excellent. At times, I struggle to overlook the sound, which can be unpleasant." (Michael Cookson)
• "Many people first think the fortepiano's sound is less beautiful than that of a modern concert grand piano. However, I believe this opinion often changes when listeners hear high-quality recordings. The fortepiano's clear sound and short sustain help highlight the unique style of music from Haydn and Mozart. Its sound is different but not worse." (Howland Auchincloss)
• "A copy of a 1730 Cristofori piano—created by Denzil Wraight based on a version made for Queen Maria Barbara of Spain—produces a beautiful sound. While it can sometimes sound metallic or quiet during loud passages, it has a delicate quality and, especially in expressive sonatas, a deeply beautiful tone." (Gary Higginson)

Etymology and usage

The word "fortepiano" comes from Italian and means "loud-soft," similar to the modern term "pianoforte," which means "soft-loud." Both terms are shortened versions of the name Cristofori used for his invention: "gravicembalo col piano e forte," meaning "harpsichord with soft and loud."

The term "fortepiano" is less commonly used and is more specific than the general term "piano," which most people use to describe the same instrument. For example, saying "Cristofori invented the piano" or "Mozart wrote piano concertos" is widely accepted. However, "fortepiano" is used when it is important to clearly identify the instrument, such as in "a fortepiano recital by Malcolm Bilson."

The word "fortepiano" is a newer term for early pianos. Even the Oxford English Dictionary notes that "fortepiano" was an early name for the "pianoforte." During the time when fortepianos were common, "fortepiano" and "pianoforte" were used interchangeably. Jane Austen, who lived during this time and played the instrument, used the term "pianoforte" (also written as "piano-forte" or "piano forte") in her writings.