pianoforte
(pɪˌænəʊˈfɔːteɪ, -ˈfɔːt)
[a. It. pianoforte, earlier piano e forte (pian e forte) ‘soft and strong’, occurring in 1598 as the name of a musical instrument of unknown action, and afterwards used by Cristofori in the descriptive name ‘gravecembalo col (or di) piano e forte’, i.e. harpsichord with soft and loud, expressing the gradation of tone which it enables the performer to produce, as contrasted with the unvarying tone of the ordinary harpsichord. So F. pianoforte. Formerly also called (in It., Fr., and Eng.) fortepiano, and now generally piano n.2]
a. A musical instrument producing tones by means of hammers, operated by levers from a keyboard, which strike metal strings, the vibrations being stopped by dampers; it is commonly furnished with pedals for regulating the volume of sound (see pedal n. 1 b). The pianoforte (the invention of which is usually ascribed to B. Cristofori of Padua c 1710) is essentially a dulcimer provided with keys and dampers, but in other respects imitates the harpsichord and clavichord, of which it has taken the place.
grand pianoforte or piano, a large pianoforte, harp-shaped like the harpsichord, and having the strings horizontal and at right angles to the keyboard. square p., rectangular like the clavichord, having the strings horizontal, but parallel to the keyboard. upright pianoforte or cabinet p., rectangular upon edge, having the strings vertical. oblique pianoforte, boudoir pianoforte, or cottage p., upright but lower, having the strings ascending obliquely or diagonally.
| 1767 Play-bill of Theatre Royal Covt. Gard. 16 May, At the end of Act I., Miss Brickler will sing a favourite song from ‘Judith’, accompanied by Mr. Dibdin, on a new instrument, called Piano Forte. 1767 Sterne Lett. lxxxv. Wks. (1839) 770/1 Your pianoforte must be tuned from the brass middle string of your guitar, which is C. 1768 F. Burney Early Diary Aug., He asked papa if he play'd much on piano fortes. 1774 Specif. Jo. Merlin's Patent No. 1081 The kind of harpsicord called piano forte. 1799 Young in Phil. Trans. XC. 135 Take one of the lowest strings of a square piano forte. 1802 Roff in Naval Chron. VIII. 169 He had been employed..to make a grand piano forte. 1879 Stainer Music of Bible 73 When the hammers of a dulcimer are connected with levers called ‘keys’, we call it a pianoforte. |
b. attrib. and
Comb., as
pianoforte concerto,
pianoforte-maker,
pianoforte-making,
pianoforte-manufactory,
pianoforte-player,
pianoforte-playing,
pianoforte recital,
pianoforte solo,
pianoforte sonata,
pianoforte-tuner;
pianoforte jump,
obstacle, a jump or obstacle in a steeplechase whose shape resembles that of a pianoforte;
pianoforte quartet, a quartet for violin, viola, cello, and pianoforte;
pianoforte quintet, a quintet for pianoforte and string quartet;
pianoforte score (see
quot. 1876);
pianoforte trio, a trio for violin, cello, and pianoforte;
† pianoforte wire = piano wire s.v. piano n.2 2 d.
| 1932 Radio Times 29 July 269/2 Hilda Bor and orchestra—pianoforte concerto in D minor—Mozart. 1934 A. L. Bacharach Mus. Compan. iv. 591 The pianoforte concertos of the modern repertory begin with J. S. Bach, who arranged sixteen violin concertos of Vivaldi for the clavier. 1962 G. Moore Am I too Loud? v. 52 Many people in different parts of the world have given it as their opinion that he [sc. Solomon] is the finest player of a pianoforte concerto they have ever heard. |
| 1862 Illustr. Catal. Intern. Exh. xvi. 89 Patent pianoforte hammer-rails, keys, actions, mouldings, fret carvings, etc. |
| 1908 Daily Chron. 9 June 3/5 Some of the Italian officers will give a display of what is known as the Pianoforte jump. |
| 1783 Specif. J. Broadwood's Patent No. 1379 John Broadwood, of Great Pulteney Street..piano forte maker. |
| 1909 Westm. Gaz. 8 Mar. 6/4 The ‘pianoforte’ obstacle will consist of four feet of water, followed by a sloping bank of turf with a three-foot wall at the end of it. |
| 1836 Dickens Sk. Boz II. 271 The pianoforte player..fainted away. 1849 Mrs. Gaskell Let. 13 May (1966) 829 Benedict the great piano-forte player. 1876 tr. H. von Ziemssen's Cycl. Med. XI. 352 Piano-forte player's spasm is of no uncommon occurrence. 1887 C. H. H. Parry Stud. Gt. Composers iv. 108 Haydn is said to have persisted in regarding Beethoven as a pianoforte player, and not as a composer. |
| 1780 F. Burney Diary 13 Apr., A lady whose pianoforte-playing I have heard extolled by all here. a 1814 Last Act ii. ii. in New Brit. Theatre II. 386 A pianoforte-playing lady. |
| 1883 Grove Dict. Mus. III. 58/2 Next to the string quartet ranks the pianoforte quartet, which, however, is built on quite a different principle. 1954 Ibid. (ed. 5) I. 878/1 There is a precedent in the slow movement of Schumann's pianoforte Quartet. |
| 1828 E. Holmes Ramble among Musicians of Germany 282 M. Herder played a pianoforte quintet in E flat of his composition. 1954 Grove's Dict. Mus. (ed. 5) I. 877/1 The pianoforte Quintet in F minor..was originally composed, but not published, as a string Quintet with two cellos. |
| 1914 G. B. Shaw Misalliance 56 How many of them could be bribed to attend a pianoforte recital by a great player? |
| 1876 Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. Terms 353/2 Pianoforte score, a score of a vocal or instrumental composition, under which is written in two lines a condensed form of the harmonies for the use of a pianoforte. 1912 W. Owen Let. 11 Jan. (1967) 108, I shall substitute for it a pianoforte solo. 1954 Grove's Dict. Mus. (ed. 5) V. 946/2 Of other works for pianoforte solo the Fantasy in C minor..is of special importance. |
| 1883 Ibid. (ed. 1) III. 577/1 The slow movements of both are very well known; that of the Pianoforte Sonata being the Funeral March. 1954 Ibid. (ed. 5) V. 947/2 It was in fact Mozart's own work in that form and was intended to become part..of a complete pianoforte sonata. |
| 1889 Ibid. (ed. 1) IV. 172/1 Pianoforte trios, as they are called, caused all others to retire into the background. 1954 Ibid. (ed. 5) V. 947/2 The pianoforte trios were mainly written for performance at private music meetings. |
| 1801 Busby Dict. Mus. s.v. Tuning fork. This instrument [sc. a tuning-fork] is chiefly used by harpischord and piano-forte tuners. 1861 Dickens Gt. Expect. I. xi. 183 At the pianoforte-tuner's across the street. |
| 1838 Osborne's Guide Grand Junction Railway (Advt. section) 113 Piano Forte Wires and Roman Strings. 1870 English Mechanic 30 Sept. 35/2 Pianoforte wire.—What weights it will support, etc. 1902 Chambers's Jrnl. June 413/2 This kite is of the box or Hargreave pattern... Its ‘string’ consists of four miles of pianoforte-wire. |
Hence
pianoˈforting vbl. n. nonce-wd., playing on the pianoforte.
| 1822 Coleridge Lett..Convers., &c. II. 159 Piano-forting, which meets one now with Jack-o'-lantern ubiquity in every first and second story in every street. |