Fortepiano

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fortepiano by Jakob Pfister, Würzburg, 1808. Mainfränkisches Museum , Würzburg

Fortepiano is the generic term for stringed keyboard instruments , the strings of which are struck by hammers and made to sound. These hammers are usually made of wood and are usually covered with felt or leather . Nowadays the term "hammer piano" is used to clearly distinguish historical instruments from modern pianos .

Terminology and delimitation

In the second half of the 18th century, the term fortepiano was used to distinguish it from stringed keyboard instruments in which the strings were torn by quills, as in the harpsichord, or by tangents (narrow metal plates on the rear ends of the rocker switches or at the top, as in the clavichord) flat forged metal rods) are struck and made to ring. Hammer pianos come in different designs. Grand piano-shaped instruments are usually referred to as fortepiano, while rectangular, table-shaped instruments are referred to as table pianos.

In the sense of this terminology, the modern piano is also a fortepiano, the modern grand piano a fortepiano or fortepiano. To the extent that after 1800 keel instruments and clavichords went out of fashion and the fortepiano became the standard keyboard instrument, the name fortepiano was shortened to the term “piano”, a term that was used before - albeit in the spelling “clavier “- was used as a generic term for every type of keyboard instrument. The name “fortepiano”, which became free in this way, was revived as part of the renaissance of historical keyboard instruments in the first half of the 20th century and is now generally used for early types of “pianos”, which differ in various features from the modern piano or grand piano .

"Pianoforte" and "Fortepiano" also initially refer to a keyboard instrument on which, in contrast to the harpsichord, you can play smoothly (piano) and loud (forte). The name of the modern piano commonly used in many languages ​​as pianoforte, or piano for short, emerged from these names. The term fortepiano disappeared in German at the beginning of the 19th century. In English, and rarely again in German, fortepiano means the same thing as today's German term hammer piano.

features

The fortepiano differs from the modern piano mainly in the following points:

Frame construction and stringing

Portuguese fortepiano, Henrique Van Casteel, 1763, Museu da Música , Lisbon

In contrast to the modern piano or grand piano, hammer pianos usually do not have a metal frame as a typical feature, but frame structures made of wood. Instruments of the 18th century are very similar in their construction, apart from the hammer mechanism, to the different types of harpsichords of the respective countries (Italy, southern Germany, England etc.), so that it was possible and not uncommon for early pianofortes in Harpsichords have been transformed or vice versa.

Later instruments from the 19th century sometimes have supporting struts or attachment plates made of metal. This is made possible by the considerably lower string tension . The static load on the construction of a modern grand piano or upright piano from the tension of the strings, which can amount to around 200 kN (20 tons), is borne by a closed cast iron frame. For hammer pianos from the late 18th century, for example, the string tension is in the order of 20 kN (approx. 2 tons).

The stringing of the fortepiano is also lighter than that of the modern piano: less string tension, comparatively thin strings and, especially with early instruments, usually fewer strings. The lower number of strings is on the one hand the result of the smaller range: five octaves from Contra-F to F '' 'in the period from approx. 1750 to approx. 1800; six octaves (contra-F to f '' '') from approx. 1805 to 1825; around 1825/30 six and a half octaves; It was not until the middle of the 19th century that the range grew to the size it is today. In addition, the reference in the middle register and treble is initially designed with two and only three lobes as development progresses .

Before the invention of today's common cross-string covering, in which the bass strings are led diagonally over the strings in the middle position, all strings were arranged parallel to one another. This straight alignment and suspension of the strings is visually noticeable in the fortepiano, in contrast to the modern grand piano, in the shape of the grand piano, which is similar to the harpsichord.

mechanics

Mechanics of an early fortepiano by Cristofori , 1720, Metropolitan Museum , New York

While today a few versions of the same piano action -type dominate the market, there was the pianoforte almost as many mechanical structures such as piano makers at the beginning of the story. Two basic types quickly emerged: the bounce mechanism, later also called “Viennese mechanics” or “German mechanics”, and the jack mechanism, also called “English mechanics”. While the jack mechanism established itself in international piano construction towards the end of the 19th century, was further developed and represents the standardized mechanism type today, the Viennese mechanism was used in Viennese piano construction until the beginning of the 20th century and is now only found in historical instruments and their replicas .

The hammer heads on hammer pianos are smaller and lighter than modern pianos. In some early instruments (including some instruments by Johann Andreas Stein and tangent grand pianos ) the heads were sometimes only made of wood, so that the sound produced came very close to that of a harpsichord. Leather-covered hammer heads were already common in the 18th century. In the first half of the 19th century, experiments were carried out with combinations of felt and leather. Only after Henri Pape had applied for a patent for felting hammer heads in 1826, felt became more and more established as the sole hammer head cover material and became the only cover material used towards the end of the 19th century.

sound

The constructional differences mentioned lead to a sound with the fortepiano that is clearly different from the piano sound that is used today. The scattering of the sound patterns from different instruments is considerable - favored by the large number of designs to be found. Despite all the diversity, the sound of the hammer piano can generally be described as more overtone , quieter, less voluminous, but still vocal and easy to blend. It is "drier" and clearly different in the different locations; conversely, the dampers do not rigorously cut the sound, but allow the string to linger a little. While this may initially be perceived as unbalanced by listeners who are used to the modern piano sound, it is the special attraction of the fortepiano. Some music from the time of the early fortepianos appears in a completely new light when played on this instrument: Because the bass of the fortepiano, for example, is much brighter and clearer than the modern piano, even deeper chords sound more transparent.

Sound changes

Many pianos from the 18th and early 19th centuries have the sound variations that are still common in today's piano construction

  • Forte or damping cancellation (right pedal): Cancellation of all dampers, so that notes continue to sound even after the keys are released and amplify the sound through mutual resonances;
  • Una corda (left pedal): Shifting the keyboard and mechanics with hammers so that they no longer strike all the strings of a string choir;

about other sound effects. The most important of these so-called "changes" were:

  • Moderator : a felt strip that can be pushed between the hammers and strings dampens the strike of the string and thus the sound, which is darker and less rich in overtones;
  • Bassoon slide: a roll of parchment or rag paper covered with silk on the strings creates a rattling tone;
  • Janissary train: drum, cymbals and bells of the janissary music, a march music-like percussion effect, are made by a leather clapper (drum) beating against the underbody, by bell bells to be struck and by a metal bracket that strikes the bass strings of the instrument and makes them "rattle" (basin), imitates;
  • Harp pull : a felt wedge pushed to the end of the string reduces the overtone spectrum - comparable to the lute pull of the harpsichord .

The sound effects are switched via hand pulls, knee levers or pedals. In addition to the two sound effects mentioned first, which are still common in modern pianos, the moderator is an important sound resource for the authentic presentation of early romantic music. This effect is not available on modern concert grand pianos.

history

Fortepiano by JH Silbermann , Strasbourg 1776, Museum of Musical Instruments , Berlin

Bartolomeo Cristofori is considered to be the inventor of the hammer piano (Italian Gravicembalo col piano e forte ), who made the first copies around 1698. Independently of this, the Frenchman Jean Marius (1716) and Christoph Gottlieb Schröter (1717) from Nordhausen also invented a keyboard instrument whose strings were not plucked, but struck by hammers. The idea of ​​equipping stringed keyboard instruments with a hammer mechanism was completely new, but not at the time. A mechanism is already presented in a medieval treatise by Arnault Henri Arnaut de Zwolle , which apparently seems to be a primitive hammer mechanism.

Gottfried Silbermann (1683–1753) was particularly important for the spread of the fortepiano in Germany in the 18th century. He was not only one of the most famous organ builders of his time, but also innovative in the construction of stringed keyboard instruments such as harpsichord , clavichord and fortepiano. His hammer mechanics are very much influenced by Cristofori's designs down to the last detail.

The currently oldest dated Viennese fortepiano (still with wooden hammer capsules) in the collection of old musical instruments in the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna was built in 1787 by Johann Gottfried Malleck (KHM / SAM 960).

A separate music section was soon created for the new instrument. While the “clavier” music of the early 18th century was mostly left open on which keyboard instrument it was to be performed, the fortepiano soon developed into its own genre. A curiosity in this regard is the double concerto for harpsichord, fortepiano and orchestra in E flat major (1788) by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach , in which the 74-year-old Bach expressly lets the two instruments meet. Many of the middle and late piano works by Mozart and Haydn can be assigned relatively clearly to the fortepiano. However, the assignment is rarely mentioned explicitly at this time. There is an explicit line-up for Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 29 op. 106, the so-called "Hammerklavier Sonata ", while the composer's early sonatas were published under the indication "for harpsichord or fortepiano" for reasons of sales rather than for musical reasons : Since many music lovers were still using harpsichords at that time, it seemed advisable for publishers and composers to forego a precise definition in order not to lose customers.

The changed sound ideal at the end of the 18th century quickly led to the extensive extinction of the harpsichord. In England, harpsichords were still being built until the beginning of the 19th century, which had a special pedal for switching registers and sometimes one for operating a rocker, as one wanted to produce different volume levels on these late harpsichords analogous to the fortepiano. The fortepiano was already firmly established on the European mainland by this time.

Fortepiano with six pedals, including a Janissary train , approx. 1820–30. House of Music , Stuttgart

The fortepiano has undergone rapid development since the beginning of the 19th century. The tonal range was steadily increased up to the 7 1/4 octaves customary today, which increased the load on the frame, which was still largely made of wood. The piano makers responded to the desire for more tone volume with a reinforced string covering (thicker strings with stronger tension), additional string choirs and a more massive construction of the strike mechanism. With the greater tensile load on the string covering, it was also necessary to strengthen the frame construction. While the gavel pianos of Mozart's time largely managed without metal struts, metal struts and struts - sometimes combined with metal attachment surfaces - became the rule in the 19th century.

With the development of fortepianos with a metal frame, combined with a cross-string cover - first realized in a square piano by Henry Steinway in 1859 - and the double repeater mechanism by Sébastien Érard (from 1823) the transition to the modern piano was initiated, which is clearly fluid. The development of the modern piano was largely completed around 1875 with the implementation of the full cast-iron frame, combined with cross-string covering and a comparatively powerful attack mechanism, which in total led to the voluminous piano sound that is familiar today and - in the case of the grand piano - to the modern wing shape with its curves.

present

In recent decades, the fortepiano, based on its early forms from the late 18th century, has been rediscovered in the context of historical performance practice . In the meantime, numerous solo works and piano concertos by C. P. E. Bach , Mozart and other composers of the age have been performed and CD recordings with original or reconstructed pianos aiming to revive a soundscape as it was before the ears of the respective composers and their contemporary audiences. For some years now, however, the early romantic gavel pianos as well as the transitional forms to the modern piano from the 19th century have been attracting increasing attention in the context of historical performance practice, as they, too, allow an authentic performance of the music written for them due to their specific sound.

Designations and designs

Pyramid wing by Christian Ernst Friederici in the Goethe House in Frankfurt

The different arrangement options for the string cover resulted in different designs, some with very clear names:

  • Square piano , run a pianoforte, in which the strings, while often a slight angle similar to the clavichord across the keys: Square Piano
  • Fortepiano, Grand Piano: a fortepiano in the shape of a grand piano
  • Cross-fortepiano: a hybrid of square piano and wings, similar to the so-called Bentside - spinets
  • Pyramid grand piano: a fortepiano with upright string cover and pyramid shape
  • Lyre wing : ditto in lyre shape
  • Giraffe piano : ditto in giraffe shape
  • Cabinet piano: ditto in cabinet shape
  • Pianino , Piano droit (today's piano design)

Well-known builders of gavel pianos

John Broadwood & Sons • Joseph Brodmann • Ignaz Bösendorfer • Bartolomeo Cristofori • Matthew Heilmann ° Johann Christoph Jeckel • Friedrich Ehrbar • Sébastien Érard • Conrad Graf • Johann Adolph Ibach • Heinrich Kisting • Johann Gottfried Malleck • Pleyel & Lyon • Michael Rosenberger • Johann Ev . Schmidt • Schweighofer family • Martin Seuffert • Gottfried Silbermann • Johann Andreas Stein • Matthäus Andreas and Carl Stein • Theodor Stöcker • Nannette Streicher • Anton Walter • etc.

Other piano makers can be found in the list of piano makers .

Manufacturers of fortepiano copies in the 20th and 21st centuries (selection)

  • Robert Brown, Oberndorf near Salzburg
  • Ugo Casiglia, Cinisi, Palermo, Italy
  • Christoph Kern, Staufen im Breisgau
  • Chris Maene, Ruiselede, Belgium
  • Paul McNulty , Divisov, Czech Republic
  • JC Neupert (founded 1868), Bamberg
  • Andrea Restelli, Milano, Italy
  • Michael Walker, Altneudorf near Heidelberg
  • Mirko Weiss, Trubschachen, Switzerland
  • Ambrosius Pfaff, Locarno, Switzerland
  • Martin Sassmann, Hückeswagen, Germany
  • Reiner Thiemann, Lauf, Germany

Well-known fortepiano pianists

Collections of historical pianos (selection)

Important collections of historical keyboard instruments with fortepianos can be found in the following public museums:

  • Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nürnberg (D)
  • Museum of Arts and Crafts Hamburg (D)
  • Grassi Museum Leipzig (D)
  • Handelhaus Halle (D)
  • German Museum and Municipal Museum Munich (D)
  • Fruit box Stuttgart (D)

In addition, there are other, non-commercially oriented collections in private ownership, for example

  • Foundation for historical keyboard instruments from the Neumeyer-Junghanns-Tracey Collection, Bad Krozingen
  • Frederick Historic Piano Collection, Ashburnham (USA)
  • Piano Museum Haus Eller (D)
  • Collection of historical keyboard instruments Hansjosten, Schweich (D)
  • Music collection Michael Günther, Triefenstein (D)
  • Cobbe Collection, East Clandon (GB)
  • Historic fortepiano from the Beetz Collection, Münster University of Music

See also

literature

  • Konstantin Restle : Bartolomeo Cristofori and the beginnings of the hammer piano: sources, documents and instruments from the 15th to 18th centuries . Edition Maris, Munich 1991, ISBN 3-925801-07-3 (also dissertation, University of Munich, 1989).
  • Martha Novak Clinkscale: Makers of the Piano, 1700-1820. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1993, ISBN 0-19-816323-1 .

Web links

Commons : Hammerklavier  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Hammerklavier  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Conversions of pianos in harpsichords are e.g. This is proven, for example, by an inventory of keyboard instruments drawn up in 1758 by Queen Maria Barbara of Spain, Domenico Scarlatti's pupil and patron . See: Ralph Kirkpatrick : Domenico Scarlatti , 2 vol., New Jersey, 1953 / Munich: Ellermann, 1972, vol. 1, p. 205 ff., And vol. 2, p. 46 f.
  2. ↑ For example, in the Vienna Musical Instrument Museum there is an instrument from 1703, labeled “HN 1696”, which is considered the oldest preserved harpsichord built in Vienna, but was later converted into a fortepiano (Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Collection of Old Musical Instruments, Inv. No. SAM 845)
  3. ↑ HMTMH , Institute for Early Music . See: altemusik.hmtm-hannover.de , accessed on April 28, 2017.
  4. ^ Website of the Frederick Historic Piano Collection
  5. ↑ Dohr Collection / Eller House Piano Museum. Piano Museum
  6. ↑ The fascination of historical pianos. www.clavieratelier.de, accessed on August 19, 2017 .
  7. ^ Michael Günther: Information on chamber concerts with early music. Clavier am Main, accessed on August 19, 2017 .
  8. ^ Cobbe Collection website
  9. ↑ See: Historic fortepiano from the Beetz Collection. Website of the University of Münster