A grand piano has not always been a grand!

Loads of thick books on the history of the piano have been written. Here is the short version:








The Italian B. Cristofori (1655-1731) invented the ’gravicembalo col piano e forte’ – harpsichord with soft and loud in 1723. By replacing the plectra of the harpsichord with small hammers (thus the German name Hammerklavier), he got the desired effect of gradual dynamics: A hard touch produced a loud tone, and a softer one a softer tone. But not everyone was happy. The critics meant that ’loud’ was not loud enough…. And ever since, piano manufactures have done their uttermost to meet the demand of more volume in the never-ending flow of new pianos.

By Mozart’s time, the fortepianos were already a little louder than Cristofori’s first invention and was gradually preferred over the harpsichord as the main keyboard instrument. The construction, however, does still consist of an all wooden case very similar to that of the harpsichord. Two ‘pedals’ are operated with the knees
and thus called knee levers – one works as a normal right pedal of a modern piano and one gives a softer tone by supplying a layer of felt between the hammers and the strings. The strings are much thinner than in a modern piano, and a fortepiano is always straight-strung like on a harp (the bass strings are not crossed over the middle strings as in a modern piano). The compass of five octaves is the reason that period Viennese piano literature never goes higher than f3!

Around 1800, the pianos got larger and the compass grew almost every year. Several piano builders even included special effects like ‘bassoon’, ‘percussion’ (or Janitscharenzug) and different moderators operated by seven pedals at the most! Beethoven, however, meant that this was rubbish and ordered a plain model with 3 pedals on his own Graf piano.



The action of the English piano is different from the German/Viennese one. The Viennese pianos produce a short, clear tone, while the English pianos have more sonority - it is all about taste! The Italian Muzio Clementi (1752 - 1832) moved to England and excelled as a pianist, composer and piano builder. In addition to grand pianos, he also made square pianos, which also can be used as coffee tables!


I 1783, another Englishman, Broadwood, introduces the pedals. The placing, however, looks somewhat funny….

The two most important piano builders in France were Erard and Pleyel. The French action was basically identical to the English action before Sebasian Erard patented his invention the ’double escapement’ (1821) which improves the repetition of the keys. This became crucial when the pianos ‘outgrew’ the light, Viennese action that works just perfect on small fortepianos. Erard founded piano factories both in France and England, and one could say that the modern grand piano is a further development of the English piano with Erard’s double escapement.

My own fortepiano is a copy of an 1810 Rosenberger, built by Michael Walker in Neckargemünd, Germany. The compass is 6 octaves, and it features 6 pedals! Here is a picture taken before it left the builder.


A comparison:

A fortepiano - Walter, ca. 1790:
- 63 keys
- Total lenght: 222 cm
- Wieght: ca 85 kg
- The hammers are covered by very thin layers of leather
- string tension: 950 kg





Modern grand - Steinway D
- 88 keys
- Total length: 274 cm
- Weight: 480 kg
- The hammers are covered by 8,39 kg wool
- String tension: 20418 kg