Fortepiano
Predecessor of pianos
Fortepiano is an early form of the piano, used from the mid-18th to early 19th centuries.
Smaller and lighter than modern pianos, with a brighter, more delicate tone, it's the instrument for which Mozart, Haydn, and early Beethoven composed.
The name comes from the Italian words for loud and soft, describing the instrument's dynamic range—a revolutionary feature that distinguished it from the harpsichord.
Years 1701-1800
- MozartEighteenth-century Austrian composer
- BeethovenGerman classical music giant
- SchubertViennese song composer
- salonGrooming establishment or gathering
Haydn · court music · Viennese · London · restoration · museum · antique
Tool for striking nails
- stringsThin flexible lines
- keyboardArray of input keys
- damperDevice reducing vibration or flow
- soundboardTone-amplifying wooden surface
pedal · harpsichord · clavichord · tangent · escapement · wooden frame · gut strings · Walter
Yielding to touch
- loudHigh in volume
- gradationIncremental transition between stages
- expressionConveyed thought or feeling
- touchPerceiving through physical contact
nuance · crescendo · decrescendo · dynamic range · contrast · volume · intensity · shading
Multi-movement instrumental composition
- concertoSolo-and-orchestra composition
- variationChange from a norm
- rondoRecurring-theme composition
- chamber musicSmall-group classical compositions
accompaniment · lieder · trio · quartet · improvisation · cadenza · ornamentation · fantasy
eighteenth century
Years 1701-1800
- MozartEighteenth-century Austrian composer
- BeethovenGerman classical music giant
- SchubertViennese song composer
Haydn · salon · court music · Viennese · London · restoration · museum · antique
hammer
Tool for striking nails
soundboard · pedal · harpsichord · clavichord · tangent · escapement · wooden frame · gut strings · Walter
soft
Yielding to touch
- loudHigh in volume
- gradationIncremental transition between stages
- expressionConveyed thought or feeling
touch · nuance · crescendo · decrescendo · dynamic range · contrast · volume · intensity · shading · sensitivity
sonata
Multi-movement instrumental composition
chamber music · accompaniment · lieder · trio · quartet · improvisation · cadenza · ornamentation · fantasy · bagatelle
FortepianoSteinway
Legendary piano manufacturer
harpsichord · synthesizer · digital piano · electric piano · clavichord
Fortepianopianissimo
Extremely quiet, in scores
piano · crescendo · fortissimo · diminuendo
forte, piano, fort, fortify, fortification, fortitude, pianoforte, pianist, pianos