The ancestry of the piano can be traced to the early keyboard instruments
of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries --- the spinet， the dulcimer， and the
virginal. In the seventeenth century the organ， the clavichord， and the
harpsichord became the chief instruments of the keyboard group， a supremacy they
maintained until the piano supplanted them at the end of the eighteenth century.
The clavichord’s tone was metallic and never powerful; nevertheless， because of
the variety of tone possible to it， many composers found the clavichord a
sympathetic instrument for intimate chamber music. The harpsichord with its
bright， vigorous tone was the favorite instrument for supporting the bass of the
small orchestra of the period and for concert use， but the character of the tone
could not be varied save by mechanical or structural devices.
The piano was perfected in the early eighteenth century by a harpsichord
maker in Italy (though musicologists point out several previous instances of the
instrument)。 This instrument was called a piano e forte (sort and loud)， to
indicate its dynamic versatility; its strings were struck by a recoiling hammer
with a felt-padded head. The wires were much heavier in the earlier instruments.
A series of mechanical improvements continuing well into the nineteenth century，
including the introduction of pedals to sustain tone or to soften it， the
perfection of a metal frame， and steel wire of the finest quality， finally
produced an instrument capable of myriad tonal effects from the most delicate
harmonies to an almost orchestral fullness of sound， from a liquid， singing tone
to a sharp， percussive brilliance. 全国新东方小语种课程搜索
发表于 2016-7-10 15:25:19
