This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Delwin D Fandrich=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 10:00 AM Subject: pianoforte It is my understanding that Cristofori originally called his = instrument a gravicembalo col piano e forte, or, a large harpsichord = with soft and loud. From this we derived, in English, pianoforte and, = ultimately, piano.=20 =20 My question is--why (and when) did the name get shortened to piano? = Why not forte? And why are instruments built after the designs of the = 18th and early 19th century builders called fortepianos and not = pianofortes? =20 Regards, =20 Del I doubt there's anything scientific about it -- probably something = that "just happened" over time with people's preferred usage. Why do we = say 'auto' instead of 'mobile' ? Or just 'cello' for 'violoncello' ? = It is curious that the modern piano came to be called just 'piano', in = contrast to the fortepiano, which, with its two-string unisons (if I'm = not mistaken), is a "softer" instrument, but whose name has not been = shortened to just 'piano' or just 'forte'. --Dave Nereson, RPT =20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/d7/84/55/e6/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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