thalassa

A Piano History Timeline 1700—Harpsichord maker Bartolomeo Cristofori’s invents the “piano e forte” (“soft and loud”) in Florence, Italy. 1739—Domenico del Mela builds the earliest known upright piano in Gagliano, Italy. Early 1700s—Piano builder Gottfried Silbermann adds a precursor to the modern damper pedal, which lifts all dampers from the strings at once to create a sustained tone. Late 1700s—Piano making flourished in the Viennese school. Mozart composed for these instruments, which were built with wooden frames with two strings per note. Early 1800s—The English firm Broadwood is the first to make sturdy pianos with a range of more than five octaves 1811—Theatrical pianist and composer Franz Liszt was born in Hungary. He brought virtuosity and flair to piano playing and created the piano recital. 1853—The piano maker Steinway and Sons was founded by Heinrich Engelhard Steinway. His innovations include cast-iron frames and overstringing, or placing strings vertical...