fortepiano

American

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

noun

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.

fortepiano British

/ ˌfɔːtɪpɪˈænəʊ /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fortepiano

First recorded in 1760–70; early variant of pianoforte

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sonata per il Cembalo ò Fortepiano di F.W.

From The Pianoforte Sonata Its Origin and Development by Shedlock, J. S. (John South)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023