The first piano was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori in Italy in the year 1709. His piano was a four-octave instrument, with hammers striking the strings just as they do on a modern piano. “Modern pianos generally are of seven octaves and a third” (Howard).The instrument was invented to meet the need to control dynamics by touch, which could not be done on the harpsichord. “The Cristofori piano was wing-shaped like our grand pianos, with a curved body and a lid that could be raised” (Hamilton). There were also square pianos in which the strings ran from left to right as on the clavichord. And by 1800, there

were upright pianos whose strings ran perpendicular to the keyboard.

The dulcimer, the earliest ancestor of the piano, originated shortly after the birth of Christ, in Iran. The basic principles of the piano were illustrated on this instrument, as there were hammers that stroke multiple strings. They were also tuned over a flat soundboard like a modern piano. But instead of mechanical hammers, dulcimer players used two light sticks ending with broader blades. Around 1400, the first Clavichord was built; however, it was the most popular about 3 centuries later during the music of Bach. On the clavichord, “…when a key was pressed, a vertical brass strip (tangent) lifted toward a pair of strings” (Hamilton). The clavichord had a quiet tone, but the way it was built allowed for some control of dynamics and even vibrato.

One of the most important composers of this time were J.S. Bach. Bach (1685-1750) was a great composer of the keyboard. He was born in Eisenach, Germany. He studied violin from his father and clavier and organ from his brother. He worked at various places during his life, often as an organist, kappelmeister, or cantor. At his time he is known as the best organist in Germany and was well known throughout Europe. His most important keyboard work is The Well-Tempered Clavier, a collection of 48 preludes and fugues. They were written in all of the 24 keys to prove that the new major-minor system is superior to the old systems. It has been called the Old Testament of piano music. His piano work is characterized by his mastery of counterpoint. His other works for keyboard includes 6 Partitas, the Italian Concerto, Goldberg Variations, A Musical Offering, 6 French Suites, 6 English Suites, and The Art of Fugue (Grover).

Along with the history of the grand piano, there is also a significant history of the vertical pianos, also known as uprights. Between 1735 and 1745, the first attempts to create a vertical piano were made. The first design of a vertical piano was a simple action design by an Italian, Domenico Del Mela, in 1739. The distinctive shape of the “pyramid” pianos was created by a German man names Christian Ernst Friederici in 1745. The pyramid piano was the same design of the grand piano copied to vertical form. This made the strings and soundboard mounted perpendicular to the keys, so that they would rise straight up. The piano action was a simplified version of the piano action designed by Bartolomeo Christofori in 1720, but the vertical action lacked the distinct repetition features of the pianoforte’s design. The vertical piano sat on a stand or table and in the front of the instrument were doors that could swing open to expose the strings and soundboard. “These designs were the only true merging of grand and upright piano designs, using the upright string and soundboard with the grand action” (Crombie). Though these designs carried on into the 1800’s, they were inferior and weak compared to later designs. By 1840, pyramid pianos and upright grands had stopped being produced altogether.

During the eighteenth century, a double-escapement was introduced by Sebastien Erard in 1821; this allowed fast repetition to be made. Using a cast-iron frame instead of a wooden one was important because it permitted the use of heavier strings. The tension of the heavier strings demanded the strength of a metal frame. These thicker strings gave greater volume and brilliance to the piano. Introduced by Alphaeus Babcock in 1830, cross stringing allowed the strings to fan out over a larger section of the soundboard. This gave it more character and also relieved the crowding of the strings. As early as the sixteenth century, upright designs were already developed for the harpsichord, but it wasn’t until the eighteenth century where many builders, especially in Germany, tired to apply the upright from to the piano-forte. It wasn’t until about 1800 until the first satisfactory uprights were finall

Some topics in this essay:
England Germany, Liszt Romantic, Alphaeus Babcock, Beethoven Beethoven, Christ Iran, Sebastien Erard, Bartolomeo Christofori, Beethoven Mozart, Cristofori Italy, Romans Piano, grand piano, piano music, modern grand, vertical pianos, modern piano, vertical piano, modern grand piano, piano sonatas, alphaeus babcock, sebastien erard, strings soundboard, pianos strings ran, testament piano music, invented alphaeus babcock, called testament piano,