An Italian harpsicord maker named Bartolomeo Cristofori invented this new instrument in the 1700s called the “pianoforte.” Cristofori's pianoforte could play both soft (piano) and loud (forte), revolutionizing keyboard music. Today, we call it: the piano. By Beethoven's time in the early 1800s, the piano had become a central instrument in classical music. Beethoven's "Fur Elise" (“For Elise”) is one of the most famous piano pieces ever written. You’ve probably heard its opening notes before. The identity of "Elise" remains a mystery... possibly a nickname for one of Beethoven's students. If Beethoven were still alive, he would be pretty shocked that this tiny piece of music went viral in the late 1800s and that we still hum it today. Music featured in the segment: 1. Claude Debussy: Arabesque #1 2. Ludwig van Beethoven: Fur Elise 3. J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in C 4. Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini More music to explore: Frédéric Chopin: Etude in C Major, “Waterfall” Alicia Keys: Girl on Fire Billy Joel: Vienna
The Piano
The sounds of an entire orchestra in just two hands... High and sparkling on top, low and bossy on the bottom.
