ABrief History of the Grand Piano

The grand piano can trace its history back to the very early harpsichords in the1600s but it wasn’t until around 1700 when an Italian by the name of Cristoforiinvented a mechanism that made a sound through felt covered hammers strikingiron strings. This eventually became known as the fortepiano derived from theItalian words ‘forte’ for loud and ‘piano’ for soft.

The composer J.S. Bach was one of the first owners of a fortepiano. This was afairly primitive model that had pedal mechanisms controlled by the pianist’s knees.This pianoforte still survives and is kept in a museum.

It was the pedal that really developed the success of the pianoforte because it madethe sound ring and reverb in the room it was being played in, making it a verypopular instrument of the time.

The development of the modern day piano

Through time, the pianoforte went through various technological developmentsand the 1800s saw the introduction of the cast iron frame. This allowed the stringsto be stretched and produce the distinctive sound that we know today.

Pianos were enormously popular throughout the 1800s and early 1900s and justabout every family had one. In the 1920s radio took off, followed by television andwith these other forms of entertainment, piano ownership went through a bit of adecline.

However, the piano in the modern day has definitely seen a renaissance. Morepeople are enjoying the classic qualities of owning a piano and with the widechoice that is available there is something for everyone.

At Broughton Pianos we stock grand pianos from all the great names such asSteinway, Yamaha, Kingsbury, Kemble and Kawai so if you need any adviceplease do not hesitate to give us a call.

Resource Link:http://www.broughtonpianos.co.uk/blog/a-brief-history-of-the-grand-piano/