fortepiano

American  

[fawr-tuh-pyah-noh] / ˌfɔr təˈpyɑ noʊ /

noun

1. a piano of the late 18th and early 19th centuries with greater clarity but less volume, resonance, and dynamic range than a modern grand, revived in the late 20th century for the performance of the music of its period.

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fortepiano British  

/ ˌfɔːtɪpɪˈænəʊ /

noun

1. an early type of piano popular in the late 18th century

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Etymology

Origin of fortepiano

First recorded in 1760–70; early variant of pianoforte

Example Sentences

An impossible challenge: Choose a single track from the dozens in Robert Levin’s tirelessly lively, eloquent collection of Mozart’s piano sonatas, recorded on their composer’s own fortepiano.

From New York Times • Dec. 22, 2022

And by the end of the 18th century, when revolutions were raging in France and America, the harpsichord was eclipsed by its gentle cousin, the fortepiano.

From Washington Post • Nov. 14, 2018

Plus, Swed marked Beethoven’s 247th birthday by attending a concert of sonatas performed by Antonio Lysy on cello and Tom Beghin on the fortepiano at the Broad Stage.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2017

Sagripanti also provided the musically authentic and essential fortepiano continuo that deftly knit together the score.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 16, 2017

Figure 1.83: The performance of an accent depends on the style of music, but in general, sforzando and fortepiano accents involve a loud beginning to a longer note.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones