The History of the Piano Essay - 1788 Words

The History of the Piano The piano has seen many sights and has been a part of countless important events in the past and present, and is said to have dominated music for the past 200 years (Welton). Throughout history, inventions come along that take art away from princes and give it the people (Swan 41). Not unlike the printing press, the piano made what was once intangible possible: the poorest of peasants could enjoy the same music that their beloved rulers did. The piano can be played by the rankest of amateurs, and the greatest of virtuosos (Swan 41); so even if a person is not very intelligent, a simple tune can easily be learned. In addition to being a key factor in almost all western music styles, the†¦show more content†¦However, the harpsichord was limited to one, unvarying volume. Its softness and loudness remained the same while playing. Therefore, performing artists could not achieve the degree of musical expression of most other instruments. The artistic desire for more controlled expression led directly to the invention of the piano, on which the artist could alter the loudness and tone with the force of his/her fingers (129). The first piano appeared in Italy sometime around 1693, originally named the gravicembolo col piano e forte (the harpsichord with loud and soft). An Italian harpsichord-maker named Bartolomeo Cristofori replaced harpsichords jacks with leather covered hammers, activated by a remarkable mechanical system (Hollis 51). Where the harpsichord could only make a string produce one sound, the new piano could be played loud or soft, make dynamic accents, and could produce gradations of sounds (52). Even though this new invention attracted little attention at the time (because of the existing popularity of the harpsichord), the piano would captivate the world in the years to come. Cristofori made only two pianos before he died in 1731, but an article was written about the new invention, and the article made its way to Germany. There, an organ-builder named Gottfried Silbermann read the article and became fascinated with the idea of a modified harpsichord (Hollis 54). Additionally, Silbermann hadShow MoreRelatedThe History of the Piano Essay1720 Words   |  7 PagesThe piano, created by Bartolomeo Christofori in 1709, has impacted our society by becoming a popular instrument and a popular medium for musicians to create musical masterpieces. Also called the pianoforte, the piano is one of the most beautiful sounding instruments that can range in sound from as low as a gust of wind, to as high as the shrill sound of a bird. It has evolved over time and become an amazing instrument. 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Berniece is ashamed and cannot let go of the past, or the piano, and Boy WillieRead MoreSummary Of The Piano Lesson Essay1733 Words   |  7 Pages In August Wilson’s, The Piano Lesson, there are multiple characters that struggle with things that happened in the past. The character Bernice Charles is often shown fighting with her brother over selling the piano that has carvings of their family’s history, which seems to be very valuable to Bernice. Another thing Bernice fights is her family’s history and this is shown through her daughter’s lack of knowledge of her family’s history. She says she does this to keep her daughter safe because