SIlbermann

Gottfried Silbermann was born 14 January 1683 in Kleinbobritzsch. He was the youngest son of Michael Silbermann, a carpenter. They moved to Frauenstein in 1685. He became a builder of keyboard instruments - harpsichords, clavichords, organs and fortepianos in Germany.

 In 1723 he was given the title Honorary Court and State Organ Builder to the King of Poland and Elector of Saxony. As well as building organs, from about 1728 he began building pianos using Shroter actions. The Schroter actions were very basic, inexpensive, and didn’t work too well. 

Silbermann showed a couple of his pianos to J. S.  Bach, who was very critical, saying that the tone was weak in the treble and the keys were hard to play even though the tone was pleasant. Initially annoyed by the negative comment, Silbermann overcame the snub and set about to improve his pianos. The improvements paid off and when Bach sampled the later pianos, he responded with positive approval!

King Frederick the Great of Prussia became acquainted with Silbermann's pianos and bought a number of them in about 1747. In these pianos, he used actions that were almost identical to the Cristofori models. 

For a while, both action types: the ‘Cristofori’ and the ‘Schroter’ were used by Silbermann in his pianos even though they were so different. In the decades to follow, the development of each action-type separated the piano-construction world, becoming known as the ‘English’ School and the ‘German’ or ‘Viennese’ School. It is significant that for a while, Silbermann provided the space for both these action-types to evolve a little before they became very distinct schools of approach. 

Silbermann’s nephew and pupil Johann Andreas Silbermann taught Johann Andreas Stein, who went on to perfect the ‘Viennese’ action.

The so-called ‘twelve apostles’ were a group of Silbermann’s pupils who, from about 1756, fled Germany and migrated to England. Among the twelve, was Johannes Zumpe, who popularised the square piano, and, Americas Backers who remodelled the Cristofori action to become the ‘English’ action. 

The action used today in modern pianos is the direct descendant of the ‘English’ action. It was significantly reworked and perfected some 50 years later by the likes of Sebastien Erard and, later still, by Henri Herz.

Silbermann died in 1753, possibly from tin-lead poisoning while working on an organ in Dresden.

© Steve Burden

Cristofori

Bartolomo Cristofori was born 4 May 1655 in Padua, Italy. He was the genius who invented of the piano. Remarkable to come up with a novel idea and set about putting it together despite there being no particular reason for the effort beyond the process and excitement of creating something new. 

The first written mention of anything remotely like a piano was in an inventory of the Medici collection of instruments in 1700. Cristofori's ‘piano’ is described in some detail, though at the time, the instrument was called an ‘Arpicembalo’ which roughly translates as a ‘harp-harpsichord.’ Cristofori’s main day job was to care for the many instruments owned by the Medici family, so work on improving his invention was by no means a full-time pursuit. However, the Medici inventory not only includes the Cristofori instrument but also provides hints of its distinct features.

Constantly seeking to refine his project, the concept for his piano action was more or less complete by 1707 but his prototype model was not exhibited until 1711 - now called a “piano e forte.” 1709, generally, was the year given for the invention of the piano - so difficult to be precise in these matters but in terms of a working example, 1709 would be about right. 

By 1720 his ideas had developed further still - the case was strengthened to cope with the greater tension of the strings, and the action improvements allowed the performer an increased range of dynamic expression. 

The dominance of the clavichord and harpsichord in the world of keyboard instruments was destined to give way to this new, groundbreaking instrument.

Prince Ferdinando, Cristofori's patron, died at the age of 50 in 1713 but Cristofori continued to work for the Medici court. When the inventory of the musical instrument collection was updated in 1716, Cristofori was now the curator of the collection.

The prosperity of the Medici princes during the early part of the 18th century was waning markedly, and Cristofori began selling his work to others. At least one of his instruments was sold to the King of Portugal.

By the 1720s, Cristofori’s pianos embodied most of the features of the modern instrument though still of very light construction. Without the strength of a metal frame, it could never produce a powerful, bright tone. 

Up until nearly the end of his life, Cristofori continued to make improvements to his pianos. He died in Florence, 27 January 1731 at the age of 75. He may not have been wealthy in material things but he left the world endowed with the extraordinary gift of the piano. Ever since, the world has been blessed - and made a better place because of it!

©Steve Burden