Resonating wood, vibrating wrought iron strings and a dynamically enabled keyboard action were the primary working mechanisms in early pianos between 1700 and the 1820s. The desire for a more musically expressive touch and sound for keyboard instruments was the impetus for modifying the harpsichord keyboard action mechanism. The popular styles of music in 1700 were the expressive forms of Italian opera and string music, signifying the beginning of a shift from the systemic Baroque, into a more individual sense of music making.76 It was the Florentine, harpsichord maker Bartolomeo Cristofori’s modification of the harpsichord’s keyboard action that initially enabled the keyboard player to implement dynamics, sustain and expression, that was previously not attainable on the harpsichord and clavichord.
The First Piano
On a visit to the Medici Court of Prince Ferdinando where Cristofori was employed as an instrument builder, Veronese intellectual Marquis Scipione Maffei, realised the importance of Cristofori’s invention and published detailed diagrams of the new instrument in a Venetian quarterly magazine Giornale de’ Letteratti d’Italia 77 in 1711. Transcripts of the article are found in Loesser’s Men Women and Pianos, and E. Good’s Giraffes, Black Dragons and Other Pianos. Cristofori’s dynamic keyboard action with escapement set the piano building industry on its subsequent journey of design development. Escapement is a term that describes the bouncing of the hammer freely from its impact on the string, enabling a free vibration of the string, whilst the key is still depressed. 78 This wasn’t a capability of the harpsichord or the clavichord. Cristofori’s hammer and string motion delivered to the music world a dynamic keyboard action and keyboard sound, that would respond to the desired dynamics and texture of the pianist or composer, without the need for tradition tone modifying hand stops. Dynamics and tone colour were previously controlled by stops on the harpsichord. Dynamics enabled through the keyboard itself meant the pianist could implement a change in dynamics, without stopping the music, ie with both hands still playing on the keys. George Handel and Domenico Scarlatti were in Florence at the Medici Court at this time, and it is assumed both composers played the new instrument at the place and time it was made.79 News of Cristofori’s invention would have spread quickly through Europe via Maffei’s article.
77 4Loesser, Men,Women and Pianos;14Good, Giraffes, Black Dragons. and HaroldSchonberg,The Great Pianists, (New York: Simon & Schuster , 2006).
78ibid.15 Good,36.
79Donatella Degiampietro , Giuliana Montanaria, “ESCAPEMENT,” in 5 Palmieri, 127.
80Ron Surace “CRISTOFORI, BARTOLOMEO” in 6 Palmieri, 102.
