Bartolomeo Cristofori di Francesco (May 4, 1655 - January 27, 1732) was an Italian maker of musical instruments, generally regarded as the inventor of the piano. Bartolomeo Cristofori - Life. The available source materials on Cristofori's life include his birth and death records, two wills, the bills he submitted to his employers, and a single interview done by Scipione Maffei. From the latter, we have both Maffei's notes and the published journal article. Cristofori was born in Padua in the Republic ...

Including:

• Bartolomeo Cristofori - Life
• Bartolomeo Cristofori - The first appearance of the piano
• Bartolomeo Cristofori - Later life
• Bartolomeo Cristofori - Cristofori's pianos
• Bartolomeo Cristofori - Design
• Bartolomeo Cristofori - Tonal quality
• Bartolomeo Cristofori - The initial reception of the piano
• Bartolomeo Cristofori - Surviving instruments
• Bartolomeo Cristofori - Assessments of Cristofori

Read more here: » Bartolomeo Cristofori: Encyclopedia - Bartolomeo Cristofori

The available source materials on Cristofori's life include his birth and death records, two wills, the bills he submitted to his employers, and a single interview done by Scipione Maffei. From the latter, we have both Maffei's notes and the published journal article. Cristofori was born in Padua in the Republic of Venice. Nothing is known of his early life. A tale is told that he served as an apprentice to the great violin maker Nicolò Amati, based on the appearance in a 1680 census record of a "Christofaro Bartolomei" living in Ama ...

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Bartolomeo Cristofori, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Life, Bartolomeo Cristofori - The first appearance of the piano, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Later life, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Cristofori's pianos, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Design, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Tonal quality, Bartolomeo Cristofori - The initial reception of the piano, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Surviving instruments, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Assessments of Cristofori

Read more here: » Bartolomeo Cristofori: Encyclopedia II - Bartolomeo Cristofori - Life

Ten instruments that survive today are attributed to Cristofori: An early (17th century) harpsichord, with a case made of ebony Two oval spinets, from 1690 and 1693. A harpsichord dated 1722, in the Musikinstrumenten-Museum of Leipzig University. Another harpsichord from the 18th century Three pianos (see above) <Two instruments not yet identified by the staff of this encyclopedia> It is not inconceivable that more instruments could be ...

See also:

Bartolomeo Cristofori, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Life, Bartolomeo Cristofori - The first appearance of the piano, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Later life, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Cristofori's pianos, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Design, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Tonal quality, Bartolomeo Cristofori - The initial reception of the piano, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Surviving instruments, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Assessments of Cristofori

Read more here: » Bartolomeo Cristofori: Encyclopedia II - Bartolomeo Cristofori - Surviving instruments

Our knowledge of how Cristofori's invention was initially received comes in part from the article published in 1711 by Scipione Maffei, an influential literary figure, in the Giornale de'letterati d'Italia of Venice. Maffei said that "some professionals have not given this invention all the applause it merits," and goes on to say that its sound was felt to be too "soft" and "dull"--Cristofori was unable to make his instrument as loud as the competing harpsichord. Yet Maffei himself was an enthusiast for the piano, and the instrument did gra ...

See also:

Bartolomeo Cristofori, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Life, Bartolomeo Cristofori - The first appearance of the piano, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Later life, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Cristofori's pianos, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Design, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Tonal quality, Bartolomeo Cristofori - The initial reception of the piano, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Surviving instruments, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Assessments of Cristofori

Read more here: » Bartolomeo Cristofori: Encyclopedia II - Bartolomeo Cristofori - The initial reception of the piano

The total number of pianos built by Cristofori is unknown. Only three survive today, all dating from the 1720's. A 1720 instrument is located in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The original compass was FF,GG,AA-c³ compass (54 notes). The case has been shortened, and the soundboard is from a 1938 restoration. [1] A 1722 instrument is in the Museo Nazionale degli Strumenti Musicali in Rome. It has a range of four octaves (C-c³) and includes an "una corda" stop; see below. A 1726 instrument is in the Musikinstrumenten-Museum of Leipzig U ...

See also:

Bartolomeo Cristofori, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Life, Bartolomeo Cristofori - The first appearance of the piano, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Later life, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Cristofori's pianos, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Design, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Tonal quality, Bartolomeo Cristofori - The initial reception of the piano, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Surviving instruments, Bartolomeo Cristofori - Assessments of Cristofori

Read more here: » Bartolomeo Cristofori: Encyclopedia II - Bartolomeo Cristofori - Cristofori's pianos