History Today: Bartolomeo Cristofori

(Image: beranda.co.id)

Bartolomeo Cristofori was an artist (craftsman) who was born in Padova, Italy on May 4, 1655.



Not many people know that Cristofori was the first person who managed to find a piano that we know today. He previously did not know the world of music formally. During his youth he only works with Nikolo Amati, - artists .-- famous violin maker at the time.

The age of 33 years Cristofori finally met with Prince Ferdinando de Medici, an heir Cosimo III, which is one of the last heir of the 'Grand Dukes of Tuscany'. Tuscany alone at the time still a small independent state. Although to this day is not known how the two know each other, but that's where it is known that Cristofori had a lot of money to create the initial capital piano.

Artificial Piano Cristofori was born in 1700. The instrument has a 4 octave voice. A journalist named Scipione Maffei describe the instrument as gravecembalo col piano e forte or meaning harpsichord with soft keyboard that loud. Originally this instrument called the pianoforte, but in the end, better known by the name of the piano.

Until now Piano become one of the most popular musical instrument by many people. Three piano pieces of original hand inventor and there is still kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, United States (made in 1720), Museo Strumenti Musicali, Rome, Italy (made in 1722), as well as Musikinstrumen-Meseum of Leipzig University, Germany (made in 1726).