
Menu Home Page Bio Fortepiano Clavichord Harpsichord Program Options 2007-08 Programs © 2007, Carol lei Breckenridge	The Fortepiano "Fortepiano" is a term used to describe the early piano. The inventor of the instrument, an Italian harpsichord builder at the Florence court named Cristofori, called his new instrument (which emerged around 1700) "Gravicembalo col piano e forte," meaning "Harpsichord with piano and forte," or harpsichord with capabilities of both soft and loud dynamics. Thus, it became known as "fortepiano" or "pianoforte," and later, simply the "piano." The instrument differed from a harpsichord in that, rather than plucking the strings, the piano has hammers which strike the strings from a distance, and then fall away. Volume of the sound is affected by how the key is struck, unlike a harpsichord, which can only affect volume suddenly by adding or subtracting strings. The piano enables subtle changes of volume within a phrase, an important expressive feature it shares with the clavichord. The piano, however, being louder than the clavichord, became in the later 18th century the favored performance instrument of the great Viennese masters, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. The fortepiano I travel with is a copy of a Dulcken piano of about 1789 in the Smithsonian Museum, built by Thomas and Barbara Wolf. Dulcken was a builder in the Munich court, and this instrument has a typically heavy German case construction, giving it a full sound, particularly in the bass. It has a damper-raising device (such as the right pedal on a modern piano) controlled by knee levers. The early piano has a much brighter tone than the modern piano, ideal for music of the Classical style. Enter the dynamic world of Viennese Classicism with programs such as: "The Sparkling Energy of the Viennese Masters on Fortepiano: Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven" "Mozart and his Keyboards: Clavichord and Fortepiano" Audio File: This Instrument Click here to download this MP3 file of Haydn's Sonata in F Major, H. XVI/23, Finale: Presto, being played on Dr. Breckenridge's fortepiano, recorded in November, 2004 (4 minutes playing time; apx 2 MB download).
*Carol lei Breckenridge* Music Department Central College Box 6100 Pella IA 50219 USA Phone: 641-628-5105 FAX: 641-628-5395 Email: breckenridgec@central.edu

The Fortepiano

"Fortepiano" is a term used to describe the early piano. The inventor of the instrument, an Italian harpsichord builder at the Florence court named Cristofori, called his new instrument (which emerged around 1700) "Gravicembalo col piano e forte," meaning "Harpsichord with piano and forte," or harpsichord with capabilities of both soft and loud dynamics. Thus, it became known as "fortepiano" or "pianoforte," and later, simply the "piano." The instrument differed from a harpsichord in that, rather than plucking the strings, the piano has hammers which strike the strings from a distance, and then fall away. Volume of the sound is affected by how the key is struck, unlike a harpsichord, which can only affect volume suddenly by adding or subtracting strings. The piano enables subtle changes of volume within a phrase, an important expressive feature it shares with the clavichord. The piano, however, being louder than the clavichord, became in the later 18th century the favored performance instrument of the great Viennese masters, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

The fortepiano I travel with is a copy of a Dulcken piano of about 1789 in the Smithsonian Museum, built by Thomas and Barbara Wolf. Dulcken was a builder in the Munich court, and this instrument has a typically heavy German case construction, giving it a full sound, particularly in the bass. It has a damper-raising device (such as the right pedal on a modern piano) controlled by knee levers. The early piano has a much brighter tone than the modern piano, ideal for music of the Classical style.

Enter the dynamic world of Viennese Classicism with programs such as:

"The Sparkling Energy of the Viennese Masters on Fortepiano: Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven"
"Mozart and his Keyboards: Clavichord and Fortepiano"

Audio File: This Instrument

Click here to download this MP3 file of Haydn's Sonata in F Major, H. XVI/23, Finale: Presto, being played on Dr. Breckenridge's fortepiano, recorded in November, 2004 (4 minutes playing time; apx 2 MB download).

Carol lei Breckenridge
Music Department Central College Box 6100
Pella IA 50219 USA
Phone: 641-628-5105 FAX: 641-628-5395
Email: breckenridgec@central.edu

Menu

The Fortepiano

Audio File: This Instrument