Piano or pianoforte is a keyboard instrument attached by strings with wooden hammers that has the strength to cast a charm with some powerful notes of complete ecstasy. From Wolfgang and Beethoven to Chopin or Vladimir, this has been the key instrument of many great maestros. From the classical music orchestra to new age acoustic music this instrument has contributed to building up the prime stage to elevate the magical aura of music.
History
Various instruments have influenced the invention of the Piano. The Pipe Organs which has been a part of music since antiquity influenced the builder to involve in making keyboard instruments as a result Clavichord and harpsichord came during the time of the renaissance. A keyboard instrument that has strings that are attached to hammered dulcimers. With the new mechanism and technicality Bartolomeo Cristofori came up with the main structure of piano in around 1700, in Padua Italy, he was employed as a keeper of instruments. Cristofori named the instrument ‘un cimbalo di cipresso di piano e forte’ which means that, a keyboard of cypress with soft and loud. There are still three Cristofori’s pianos that survived ages and now are kept in museums.
Structure
The instrument is covered in a wooden case and the keyboards are attached with strings and the strings are connected with wooden hammers. The modern-day piano’s hammers are made of wood or plastic, are often covered in wool, or leather to increase longevity and also to make soften the tune. Cristofori used thinner strings to deduce the tone of the prior keyboard instruments. The name fortepiano is mainly conveyed in that it has two sets of keys for louder tones and also for the softer tones.
Types of piano
There are several types of piano and have evolved with various structures. But there are three types of piano that have dominated the music industry. Which are,
- Upright or Vertical pianos: the structure of this piano’s soundboard and strings are attached in a way that stands perpendicular to the ground. The main purpose is they take a lesser place. Though, the tonal quality is a little different from the regular piano.
- Grand Piano: Grand Piano or Classical pianos are the largest of them all. It keeps the shape of Cristofori’s, which means that the keyboard and the strings are attached horizontally. With the best sound quality and also are the most expensive ones.
- Digital Pianos: this has a quite similar structure to the Upright pianos. Instead of a hammer and strings, this piano has activated sensors. A good quality digital piano will sound almost similar and it can also record and playback the piece. This new mechanism is much more user-friendly.
Piano and great maestro and Sonata
This musical instrument holds classical music with might that no other instrument ever has. Take any symphony from the classical orchestra, piano is present almost everywhere. With the changed taste of music, a piano is still one of the major parts of music. Some great musicians have included piano exponentially in their music and started the usage of the evergreen musical trio, Piano, Violin, and Cello, which is called the sonata.
- Haydn, the father of the symphony, was the first one who used piano, violin, and cello together which created musical heaven on earth. The uprising positivity of the music of this Austrian Maestro has influenced others to join the tradition, which was going to be the most used form of music for eternity.
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the best composer of the classical period who is present everywhere to children poems to tormenting adults Mozart has made prominent use of piano and piano trio in his music and gave us pieces like, ‘Rondo Alla Turca’, ‘Symphony no.-40’, ‘Symphony no. 25’ or ‘no.- 9’, which will remain with every music lover forever.
- Ludwig Van Beethoven: the prominent pianist and composer Beethoven has exceeded excellence with his piano. His piano pieces have manifested words from thin air. His pieces that will always have a huge place in the history of the piano in the history of music with ‘Moonlight Sonata’, ‘Fur Elise’, ‘5th symphony’, ‘9th symphony’ will hold the most powerful piano pieces of all time.
In the classical era of music piano and the piano trio were the dominating instruments of music. With time piano has become more users friendly with a digital piano and later on keyboards which are used vividly in modern music. Several orchestra groups are still making classical pieces with the vivid use of piano. Some of the greatest evergreen pianists are Sergei Rachmaninoff, Vladimir Horowitz, Frederic Chopin, Martha Murray, Ignaz Friedman, Alfred Brendel, Claudio Arrau, Mitsuko Uchida and many more have enriched the history of this instrument.