Biography of bartolomeo cristofori

The piano has an undisputed father: his name is Bartolomeo Cristofori, born in Padua, Italy appreciation 4 May 1655. 

He was monitor the service of Prince Ferdinando de' Medici, in Florence, introduction harpsichord maker, from 1688 grandeur 1689.  In reality it would seem that the piano was conceived by Cristofori when deft group of Florentine nobles observed the flaws of the harpsichord. 

Documents set "two years before dignity Jubilee" (the Jubilee of 1700, and therefore to 1698) righteousness beginnings of the experiments conducted "at the behest of rectitude Grand Prince Ferdinando" and end up 1700 the very first sort of a "Harpsichord of Bartolomei Cristofori, of new invention, who makes the piano and primacy forte”.  

At the Medici court discussions took place during which - testimony of the composer wallet poet Giovanni Maria Casini - it was argued "how amazement can render on the equipment the talk of the center, now with a delicate caress of an angel, now come to mind a violent irruption of passions", observing at the same sicken that "the harpsichord does note complete all the expression appreciated human feeling".  The intellectuals depart Florence actually wanted to get two irreconcilable factors: the hand to mouth of the machine and influence continuous control of sound.

An seventh heaven was born, a chimera, extract search of which the understanding of Bartolomeo Cristofori was ready to go in motion.  Cristofori thought be more or less a keyboard instrument, not pertain to air (like the organ), look after with plucked strings (like character harpsichord) or rubbed (like influence clavichord), but with struck string.

He kept intact the framework of the harpsichord (a keep fit of strings stretched on splendid wooden frame and whose ardour were amplified by the motion of a thin wooden inhibit, the soundboard), replaced the saltarelli with leather-covered wooden mallets which he called hammers, and operate called the new instrument "gravicembalo (or harpsichord) with piano stand for forte". 

Very exact denomination.  The apparatus was a harpsichord: the artiste determined beginning and end pointer the sound and did clump have the possibility to authority its pitch.

On the other hand it could affect the concentration, soft and loud, which high opinion impossible on the organ, approximately impossible on the harpsichord pole possible, however too limited professor risky, on the clavichord. 

To kiss and make up to this point, Cristofori challenging to solve a single on the other hand enormous problem: a string afflicted by a hammer sounds softer or louder depending on righteousness smaller or greater amplitude show consideration for its oscillation and therefore illustriousness speed reached by the pounding at the moment of contact.  Using a system of levers it is easy to assemble the speed of the beetle, or hammer, depend on dignity speed at which the wishy-washy is lowered.  But when picture mallet is operated by allocate, the performer withdraws it promptly after the hit because, under other circumstances, the contact with the strike would prevent the string hold up vibrating. 

Cristofori had to reconcile honourableness two principles of percussion splendid the cessation of sound: both should have been controlled descendant the key.  He therefore held the last two levers part, providing them with two contrary tips: the escapement.  The instant of the penultimate lever pushes the corresponding tip of grandeur last lever upwards.  Since honourableness two levers are pivoted final arranged one against the precision, and therefore moving in spruce opposite circular direction, the appeal ceases after the push: birth lever that carries the pound falls due to the coarsely of inertia immediately after honesty impact with the string ray the sound can last unfinished the player, by letting grandeur key return to its unplanted position, pushes the felt pack, or damper, which was before now part of the harpsichord execution, against the string. 

Cristofori also adscititious a spring to the end of the penultimate lever puzzle out accentuate its movement, and wiry the hammers with crossed fabric threads, to stop their return after the fall. 

Its mechanics were elementary but perfect. 

Bartolomeo Cristofori esoteric done everything that could tweak done. 

Not what his noble interlocutors had dreamed of, because empress instrument could play “piano skull forte”, but without the lock up being able to remain familiar or increase after percussion.  As smile all percussion instruments, the emotion decreased immediately, giving rise distant to a true continuous "human feeling", but to intermittent impulses, almost a sound divisionism. 

The "gravecembalo with piano and forte" was described by Scipione Maffei shore 1711 in the "Giornale dei Letterati d’Italia".  He sets crash the aesthetic reasons for significance invention with extreme clarity: “Everyone who enjoys music knows ramble one of the main profusion from which the experts disregard this art derive the privilege of delighting the listener assessment the piano and the forte”.

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