Bartolomeo Cristofori
Bartolomeo Cristofori di Francesco (Italian pronunciation: [bartoloˈmɛːo kriˈstɔːfori di franˈtʃesko]; May 4, 1655 – January 27, 1731) was an Italian musical instrument maker. He invented the piano.
Bartolomeo Cristofori | |
|---|---|
 Photo of a painting of Bartolomeo Cristofori standing next to a piano. The painting was lost in World War II. | |
| Born | Bartolomeo Cristofori di Francesco May 4, 1655 |
| Died | January 27, 1731 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Inventor, instrument maker |
| Known for | Inventor of the piano |
Life
Cristofori was born in Padua. Not much is known about Cristofori's early life. In 1688, he worked for Prince Ferdinando de' Medici in Florence as a musical instrument technician. He ook care of instruments for the prince. In 1716, he became the custode (steward) of the musical instruments. He made harpsichords and other keyboard instruments. He had his own workshop.[1]
He started to experiment with hammer mechanisms in 1700. His earliest known piano was called Arpicembalo, che fa il piano, e il forte (English: "A keyboard instrument which makes soft and loud sound").[2] The instrument became popular outside of Florence. He sold pianos to customers in Florence and Rome. Gottfried Silbermann learned of Cristofori's invention. He started to make his own pianos. Lodovico Giustini published 12 sonatas for the instrument in 1732. This was the first collection of music specifically for the piano.[1]
Cristofori died on January 27, 1731 at the age of 75.[1]
Bartolomeo Cristofori Media
The 1720 Cristofori piano in the Metropolitan Museum in New York
The 1722 Cristofori piano in the Museo Nazionale degli Strumenti Musicali in Rome.
The 1726 Cristofori piano in the Musikinstrumenten-Museum in Leipzig
The Cristofori piano action
The 1693 oval spinet, in the collections of the Museum für Musikinstrumente in Leipzig, Germany
Cristofori spinettone in the Leipzig museum
The 1726 harpsichord with disposition 1 × 8', 1 × 4', 1 × 2', in the Leipzig museum. There are three separate bridges and three separate nuts for the eight-foot, four-foot, and two-foot string choirs.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Cristofori, Bartolomeo". Grove Music Online (8th). (2001). Oxford University Press.
- ↑ Pollens, Stewart (2013). "Bartolomeo Cristofori in Florence". The Galpin Society Journal. 66: 7–245. ISSN 0072-0127.