The Piano
The modern piano as we know it today, is a most remarkable technical achievement that has been with us since the 1700's. We owe a great debt to the genius of Bartolomeo Cristofori for creating such an effective tool for artistic expression. Instruments such as the clavichord and harpsichord had provided effective ways to construct the case, soundboard, bridge and keys. However, it was Cristofori who solved the mechanical problem of prior instruments by creating a piano action which allowed for the hammers to strike the strings, without remaining in contact, thus allowing the string to vibrate freely. In addition, it allowed the hammers to return to their original position without uncontrollable bouncing.
The original design of the piano continued to be improved upon with technical innovations such as additional strings, felt hammers, the double escapement action, and the sostenuto pedal. By the end of the 19th century grand and concert pianos had attained their present form as we know them today. The piano has become widely used in classical, jazz, and rock music in addition to much of the music for film and television. Because of it's ease of constructing complex melodic and harmonic interplay, the piano is often used for composition and teaching in addition to performance.
The modern piano as we know it today, is a most remarkable technical achievement that has been with us since the 1700's. We owe a great debt to the genius of Bartolomeo Cristofori for creating such an effective tool for artistic expression. Instruments such as the clavichord and harpsichord had provided effective ways to construct the case, soundboard, bridge and keys. However, it was Cristofori who solved the mechanical problem of prior instruments by creating a piano action which allowed for the hammers to strike the strings, without remaining in contact, thus allowing the string to vibrate freely. In addition, it allowed the hammers to return to their original position without uncontrollable bouncing.
The original design of the piano continued to be improved upon with technical innovations such as additional strings, felt hammers, the double escapement action, and the sostenuto pedal. By the end of the 19th century grand and concert pianos had attained their present form as we know them today. The piano has become widely used in classical, jazz, and rock music in addition to much of the music for film and television. Because of it's ease of constructing complex melodic and harmonic interplay, the piano is often used for composition and teaching in addition to performance.
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