THE first piano was created in the shop of Bartolomeo Cristofori in the early 1700s. Cristofori was an Italian craftsman who used to repair a musical instrument called harpsichord for the royal court.
The harpsichord was a stringed instrument with a keyboard received a wide patronage from the European royals in the 17th century. But the instrument had one unvarying volume and its softness and loudness could not be changed while playing. Cristofori struggled for many years experimenting with various designs to overcome this limitations. He exhibited his first instrument called fortepiano in Florence in 1709 which was later simply called the piano.
The piano soon became a central component of Western classical music. It quickly gained acceptance among the upper class, soon replacing the good old harpsichord. By 1730, most elite homes in Europe had a piano.
Cristofori's earliest surviving piano which dates back to 1720 is on display at the Metropolitan of Art in New York City. Although the piano has undergone several improvements during the past 300 years, the modern piano holds a very close resemblance to Cristofori's piano!
The piano soon became a central component of Western classical music. It quickly gained acceptance among the upper class, soon replacing the good old harpsichord. By 1730, most elite homes in Europe had a piano.
Cristofori's earliest surviving piano which dates back to 1720 is on display at the Metropolitan of Art in New York City. Although the piano has undergone several improvements during the past 300 years, the modern piano holds a very close resemblance to Cristofori's piano!
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