Forte Piano?

Dave Keyser

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Jun 13, 1997, 3:00:00 AM6/13/97

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Hi All,

Here is a silly question. What exactly is a forte-piano? My Dad asked
me the other day after asking that question in several music stores and
getting a lot of blank stares. I've looked all over the 'net and, while
I've found many references thereto, cannot find a clear definition or
description of one.

Best I can tell so far is it's similar to a harpsichord, but its strings
are struck rather than plucked, therefore can play loud or soft (forte
or piano, hence its name), and that it is the forerunner to today's
piano.

Can anyone clarify or further define / describe?

Thanks,
DK

Please remove "nospam." for e-mail replies.
_____________________________________________________________________

Dave Keyser | The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily
Gurnee, Illinois | those of my employer, Abbott Laboratories.

Al 'I know my way around Fulford' Disley

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Jun 13, 1997, 3:00:00 AM6/13/97

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On Fri, 13 Jun 1997, Dave Keyser wrote:

> Here is a silly question. What exactly is a forte-piano? My Dad asked
> me the other day after asking that question in several music stores and
> getting a lot of blank stares. I've looked all over the 'net and, while
> I've found many references thereto, cannot find a clear definition or
> description of one.
>
> Best I can tell so far is it's similar to a harpsichord, but its strings
> are struck rather than plucked, therefore can play loud or soft (forte
> or piano, hence its name), and that it is the forerunner to today's
> piano.

I believe a forte-piano is very similar to the first pianos ever made.
I've only ever come across one, in a music room here at the university, so
all my descriptions are based on that limited experience.

It has a wooden frame, rather than iron, so the strings are under less
tension. The sound is much quieter than a piano, but like a thinner piano
in tone. The strings are hit by hammers, using a simple mechanism. The
dampers are very crude pieces of felt that are lifted off the strings by
the ends of the keys.

In shape it resembles a grand piano on a diet. It has a range of about 5
1/2 octaves, with black naturals and white capped sharps. The pedals
(sustain and soft) are controlled by knee levers, so only the legs touch
the ground.

It was quite a delicate sounding instrument, and Mozart etc sounded good
on it. Unfortunately, I was accompanying a large choir, the grand piano
being locked, and this being preferable to the clavichord and harpsichords
in the room. It was far too quiet! And then someone decided to open the
lid, and mistook the (crude) damper system for a lid prop - yes, all the
dampers came out as easy as that! There followed several anxious minutes
as we tried to get them back in, which we did manage, having reduced its
value considerably no doubt...

Al

If you were a cloud, and sailed up there, | Al Disley acd...@york.ac.uk
You'd sail on water as blue as air, | a...@mad.scientist.com
And you'd see me in the fields and say: | http://www.york.ac.uk/~acd105/
"Doesn't the sky look green today?" | FS: P60 / 16Mb / 540HD / 4*CD
(A. A. Milne) | mini tower / SB16 / $360uk ono

Giorgio Cinotti

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Jun 14, 1997, 3:00:00 AM6/14/97

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Dave Keyser <david....@ln.ssw.abbott.com> wrote in article
<01bc78cf$73ce6200$efa4...@sangiorgio.tin.it>...
> Hi All,

>
> Here is a silly question. What exactly is a forte-piano? My Dad asked
> me the other day after asking that question in several music stores and
> getting a lot of blank stares. I've looked all over the 'net and, while
> I've found many references thereto, cannot find a clear definition or
> description of one.
>
> Best I can tell so far is it's similar to a harpsichord, but its strings
> are struck rather than plucked, therefore can play loud or soft (forte
> or piano, hence its name), and that it is the forerunner to today's
> piano.

The Italian term "fortepiano" (that is: loud and soft) was, initially,
widely employed for a period comprising, let's say, the last quarter of
XVIII century and the first quarter of XIX century.
Later, it disappeared almost everywhere, being substituted by:
- the Italian and Spanish term "pianoforte";
- the German term "Klavier" (and "Flügel" for the Grand). At Beethoven's
times the instrument was also called "Hammerklavier", that is harpsichord
with hammers, in Italian "cembalo a martelli";
- the French "piano";
- the English "piano";
- only the Russian term for "piano" is still "fortepiano".
One must remember that the original name of this instrument, whose
invention (1698-1900) is attributed to the Italian harpsichord maker
Bartolomeo Cristofori (born in Padua, working in Florence), was
"gravecembalo col piano e forte", that is: harpsichord with soft and loud.
It's true that the "fortepiano" was initially very close to the
harpsichord, the main (or sometimes only) difference being in action (in
order to strike instead than pluck the strings). No wonder, therefore, that
fortepianos were initially built by famous harpsichord makers, such as
Silbermann, Taskin, Broadwood...
As time passed, the need for louder and richer sound, longer sustain,
better stability of tuning, faster repetition ability, led to several
alterations in design, such as the employment of metal braces (cast frames,
later), heavier hammers covered with felt, double-repetition action (whose
excellent prototype was invented by Sébastien Erard and patented in 1821),
and so on. Around 1885-90 the design of the powerful, resonant, strong and
heavy "modern" piano was basically established.
Coming back to the term "fortepiano", it came in fashion again around 1970
among organologists and only applies to instruments (of the piano-type)
built not later than 1835-40, lacking of metal frame and having light
hammers covered with leather.
So, if some friends of mine claim to have a "fortepiano" at home and I
find that they have (actual examples!):
- or a c. 1860 Erard grand with metal braces and the already "modern" Erard
double-repetition action;
- or a c. 1890 Boesendorfer grand with Vienna-action, but with cast iron
frame;
be sure that they have very beautiful pianos of outstanding quality (if
well restored), but they don't have "fortepianos" at any rate.

Giorgio Cinotti
Venice - Italy
ju...@mbox.vol.it

Barrie Heaton

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Jun 15, 1997, 3:00:00 AM6/15/97

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Christofori called his invention Gravicembaoms Call de- Piano Forte,
which translated means Harpsichords with soft and loud . this was a bit
of a mouth full so they dropped The "Gravicembaoms Call" then around
1890's they dropped the "forte"

Piano dealers tend to class pianos before 1900 Piano Fortes and that
were the confusion set in.

Hope that is some help

Barrie
Web Master
Uk piano Page

In article <33A190...@ln.ssw.abbott.com>, Dave Keyser <nospam.david.
key...@ln.ssw.abbott.com> writes

>Hi All,
>
>Here is a silly question. What exactly is a forte-piano? My Dad asked
>me the other day after asking that question in several music stores and
>getting a lot of blank stares. I've looked all over the 'net and, while
>I've found many references thereto, cannot find a clear definition or
>description of one.
>
>Best I can tell so far is it's similar to a harpsichord, but its strings
>are struck rather than plucked, therefore can play loud or soft (forte
>or piano, hence its name), and that it is the forerunner to today's
>piano.
>

>Can anyone clarify or further define / describe?
>
>Thanks,
>DK
>
>Please remove "nospam." for e-mail replies.
>_____________________________________________________________________
>
>Dave Keyser | The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily
>Gurnee, Illinois | those of my employer, Abbott Laboratories.

--
Barrie Heaton İ PGP on request
The U.K. Piano Page: İ Home:
www.airtime.co.uk/forte/piano.htm İ www.airtime.co.uk/forte/heaton.htm
Be Environmentaly Friendly To Your Neighbour HAVE YOUR PIANO TUNED

KBrodee

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Jun 15, 1997, 3:00:00 AM6/15/97

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I hope this helps. It means loud / soft. Or soft/ loud I always have a
hard time remembering ANYWAY. It took the place of the Harpsicord which
really had no expression The Piano does. You can play it load or soft.

Dave Keyser

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Jun 16, 1997, 3:00:00 AM6/16/97

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Thanks to all who replied, both via this group and e-mail. My original
assumption was pretty close, and you all filled in the details nicely.

Thanks again,
DK
______________________________________________________________________

George Atwood

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Jun 17, 1997, 3:00:00 AM6/17/97

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The origional name of what is now known as the piano was the piano-forte
(I'm not sure about the hyphenation, oh well). It means soft loud. I hope
this clears up this subject.