Forte-piano (Noun)
Meaning
A keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The forte-piano was a major innovation in the development of keyboard instruments during the 18th century.
- Bartolomeo Cristofori, the inventor of the forte-piano, achieved a much more expressive sound than other keyboards of the time.
- By the mid-19th century, the forte-piano had largely been replaced by the modern piano, which was more robust and had a greater dynamic range.
- The main difference between the harpsichord and the forte-piano lay in their mechanisms for sound production.
- Musicologists still appreciate the unique qualities of the forte-piano as an instrument suited to period performance of Baroque and early Classical music.