The Evolution of the Piano

1
The Evolution of the Piano
9th Grade General Music Class Ms. Julianne
Hambrick

• Who invented the piano, and how did it get to be
  the way it is today?

2
What is a piano?

• A stringed keyboard instrument
• Derived from the harpsichord and the clavichord
• Also called the pianoforte
• Differs from its forerunners because it uses a
  hammer-and-lever action that allows the player to
  control the intensity of the sound by through the
  touch of the fingers

3
The Pianos Ancestors

• The sound on a harpsichord is produced by the
  strings being plucked. Its sound is much
  different that that of a piano.

• The clavichord is the oldest form of a keyboard
  instrument. Small brass blades, called tangents,
  strike the string on each key to create the
  sound.

4
The First Piano

• Called a gravicembalo col piano e forte (which is
  Italian for harpsichord with loud and soft)
• Built in 1709 by Bartolomeo Cristofori, who was a
  harpsichord maker in Italy
• Two of of his pianos still exist today, one in
  New York and one in Germany

5
Influential People

• Gottfried Silberman
• An organ maker
• 1725
• Noted Christoforis work and initiated the
  development in Germany

• Johann Andreas
• Most important contributions
• Made improvements which led to the Viennese
  piano that was praised by Mozart and was
  preferred by German players of the 18th and 19th
  centuries

6

• John Broadwood
• 1760
• Migrated from Germany to London with eleven
  others
• Constructed a school that turned the production
  of pianos into a stronger build, resembling even
  more those of today

• Sebastien Erard
• Founded a French school in the 1790s
• In 1823, created double escapement (the ablilty
  for a note to be rapidly repeated) that is still
  in use today

7
Noted Manufactures

• By this time, artisans in all of the Western
  nations were trying to perfect the construction
  of the piano
• Germany and America have been distinguished
  manufacturers for years
• Karl Bechinstein
• Baldwin, Mason Hamlin, Steinway, and Chickering

8
Early Pianos

• Like the harpsichord, the early piano had a span
  of only four, or at most five, octaves. Today
  the piano has a range of more than seven octaves.

9
How does the piano work?

• The strings are wound around pins in the frame
  (1).
• A thin piece of spruce is placed under the
  strings to reinforce the vibrations (2).
• The strings get larger and thicker as you go down
  the keyboard to the lower notes. The higher
  strings are made of 2-3 strings tuned to the same
  pitch, but the lower notes are made of a much
  thicker strings with copper wound around them
  (3).

10

• The action is the entire part used to propel the
  hammers against the keys. The most visible part
  of the action is the keyboard, which is make of
  ivory and ebony, or sometimes plastic (4).
• The pedals are levers used by the feet. They
  control the dampers and create several different
  effects (5).
• The case determines whether a piano is grand,
  square, or upright. Square pianos are no longer
  made. (6).

11
What is the piano used for today?

• The piano is a very popular instrument because of
  its versatility and responsiveness. The piano is
  used in orchestral and chamber music as well as
  in jazz and popular music.

• The piano is also used as a solo instrument, to
  accompany voice, and as a part of a band or
  orchestra.

12
Famous Pianists

• Johann Sebastian Bach
• (1685-1750)
• German organist and composer of the Baroque era
• Famous for Goldberg Variations, The Well-Tempered
  Clavier, and The Art of the Fugue

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• (1756-1791)
• Was an accomplished performer on the clavier,
  organ and violin at age 6
• Famous for his 27 piano concertos and 17 piano
  sonatas

13

• Ludwig van Beethoven
• (1770-1827)
• Began his career as an outstanding improviser at
  the piano and composer of piano music
• Famous for his piano sonatas including the
  Pathetique sonata and Moonlight sonata

• Frederic Chopin
• (1810-1849)
• He wrote his first composition at the age of
  seven
• Famous for 55 mazurkas, 27 etudes, 24 preludes,
  19 nocturnes, 13 polonaises, and 3 sonata, all
  written for the piano!

14

• Franz Lizst
• (1811-1886)
• Studied with many famous pianists in Paris for 12
  years
• Famous for teaching more than 400 students and
  producing more than 350 compositions, most of
  them being very complex

• Claude Debussy
• (1862-1918)
• Went against the traditional rules of music and
  paved the way to the modern styles
• Famous for Estampes (Engravings), Images, and
  several preludes

15
How much do you remember?

• Name one of the pianos ancestors.
• What is the name of the person who made the very
  first piano?
• Name one other person who contributed to
  developing the piano.
• Name one famous manufacturer of pianos.
• What part of the piano is controlled by the feet?
• Name one famous pianist and what they are famous
  for.