Hammer mechanism instruments and their role in shaping the composition style of pieces written for keyboard instruments in the period of 1730-1780, part 1

Abstract

The article constitutes the first part of a cycle devoted to keyboard instruments with hammer mechanism made between 1730 and 1780. The author’s intention is presenting a wide perspective of selected topics on keyboard instrument making in the 18th century and the influence of how instruments were made on music practice at that time. The aim seems justified due to scarce publications on this subject available in Polish, among other reasons. The first chapter briefly outlines general aspects of the 18th century music culture which was the background of the development of instrument making. As far as the theory of aesthetics was concerned, despite the predominance of vocal and instrumental music which used lyrics and their meaning, it was the period when rapid development of purely instrumental genres such as symphony or instrumental concerto took place. Also the popularisation of public and concert life, as well as home music-making gave an impulse for the development of instrument making. The second chapter touches on the invention of Bartolomeo Cristofori, its earlier reception and the role of Domenico Scarlatti in the popularisation of that instrument. Attempts to construct a keyboard instrument with a mechanism making the strings vibrate by striking them date back to the 15th century. However, the turning point in the history of all family of string keyboard instruments was only when in 1698 Cristoforti constructed a technically advanced hammer action mechanism, with enabled nuancing piano e forte dynamics on the traditional cembalo. Probably, among first promoters of the new instrument was Scarlatti and it was through him that grand pianos appeared on Portuguese and Spanish courts. Despite certain stylistic features proving that he was inspired by the capacities of the new instrument, there is no explicit evidence that Scarlatti’s Sonatas were meant for the piano. Nevertheless, the name pianoforte (piano e forte) does appear on title pages of works written by two other composers of that time, i.e., Lodovico Giustini and Sebastián de Albero, and their pieces have been briefly analysed at the end of the article.