Man who invented most popular musical instrument – Bartolomeo Cristofori.
Bartolomeo Cristofori was born in Padua, Italy (1655). Worked for Prince Ferdinando de Medici in Tuscany. Ferdinando hired Cristofori to take care of musical instruments.
1st pianos looked different – no pedals, shorter keyboards. Quieter, less resonant. Piano didn’t take off immediately, incredibly tough to build. But, composers began to champion piano, a fashionable purchase. Loved for volume, versatility, expressive abilities.
