CCOHK ENEWSLETTER Issue No.42

The fortepiano - precursor of the pianoforte!

From the 17th-19th centuries there were several types of keyboard instruments used in European concert halls and homes. These include the clavichord, harpsichord, organ, and the fortepiano, which eventually developed into the modern pianoforte. Smaller than a concert grand, it was built on a wooden rather than iron frame, with a range of four to seven octaves. The fortepiano had fine strings, similar to those of a harpsichord, which were struck with hammers usually made of wood and covered in soft leather. The ability to make a distinction between loud (forte) and soft (piano) gave the instrument its name of "fortepiano”. Some instruments had pedals, and often the black keys of a modern piano were white on a fortepiano keyboard. It produced a sweet and expressive sound, quite a different tone quality to that of a modern piano. By the end of the18th century the fortepiano went out of fashion until the Early Music movement later in the 20th century, when a revival of interest led to old instruments being restored and modern copies made. Today fortepianos are most commonly of the German or Viennese type.

Haydn composed some of his keyboard sonatas for teaching and performing purposes. They were popular among both professional and amateur musicians of Viennese society, and combine beauty of expression with the composer’s characteristic sense of fun and invention. Geoffrey Lancaster has achieved distinction in early performance practice, and his use of a fortepiano with its characterful sonorities and ability to "speak" to the listener, gives fresh insights into Haydn’s keyboard music.

At the CCOHK’s upcoming Haydn's Forte concert Geoffrey Lancaster will be playing on a copy of a 1795 fortepiano by the Viennese maker Anton Walter made by Chris Maene in Belgium and provided by kind permission of the School of Music, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Don’t miss this rare chance to hear the fortepiano!