Although Cristofori may have been working on the piano for a few years before to 1700, that year marks the first recorded mention of it. The earliest known piano by Cristofori is from 1720. The advancement the piano symbolized was more significant than the date.
The harpsichord undoubtedly influenced the piano; in early documents, Cristofori referred to the piano as an Arpicembalo, which translates to "harp-harpsichord," and he frequently developed and created additional instruments that were harpsichord-like. By using a hammer instead of a string, the piano advanced that instrument significantly. Its hammers and dampers, which could more deftly modulate sound than the harpsichord's plucking motion, allowed for a better modulation of volume.
The earliest piano that has survived was created in 1721, and given that it sounds something like a harpsichord, it is clear that it was a transitional instrument. The Metropolitan Museum of Art claims that its sound is rather harpsichord-like because to its smaller range, thinner strings, and heavier hammers than those of modern pianos.
Cristofori worked for the Medici family and contributed to the regal system. He was truly hired to work for the Medicis but initially placed in a workshop with about 100 other artisans (he complained about how loud it was). Ferdinando de' Medici gave Cristofori permission to invent, but he was also assigned responsibility for tuning, moving, and repairing certain older instruments. Cristofori was a provincial good, as opposed to artists who played at royal courts and had the potential to become famous around the world. He wasn't thought of as a revolutionary genius, but as a competent tinker.
Due to the fact that Cristofori was merely a hired man, we may not know much about him (albeit a well-respected one). Cristofori was employed by Ferdinando de' Medici, an Italian prince and part of the illustrious Italian family, to serve the court rather than only music.
Cristofori's invention of the piano may seem obvious, but the reason he is unknown outside of the musical world is less clear. It might be a result of his work, the piano's escalating fame, and the ensuing improvements. There is only one portrait of him because he wasn't particularly well-known when he was alive and he's still not particularly well-known today. But in a way, that finesse is appropriate for a trailblazer who introduced new tonal nuances to music. It is not Cristofori's piano that is still playing; rather, it is the loud plucking of the harpsichord.
Most inexperienced musicians will begin to respond when asked what kind of instrument a piano is, only to discover that they truly don't know the answer! You do realize that it's not a string instrument like a guitar or violin? It couldn't possible be a percussion instrument, can it, even though it partly resembles instruments like xylophones? The piano is a percussion and string instrument, which is a shocking truth! Learn how these string and percussion components came together to produce the distinctive sound of the first modern piano as you proceed through the history of the piano below.
