Cultural depictions of the fortepiano

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The fortepiano was the early version of the piano, used by musicians from its invention in 1700 by Bartolomeo Cristofori to about 1820. The fortepiano was a much lighter instrument than the modern piano, lacking an iron frame and steel strings. For information on this instrument, see fortepiano.

Unlike its ancestor the harpsichord, the fortepiano plays only a minor role in contemporary popular culture. Whereas the harpsichord is widely employed by popular musicians for its distinct tone (often synthesized rather than authentic), the fortepiano is apparently limited to film and television. Such appearances are motivated by the wish of the producers to provide a visually and sonically accurate portrayal of the times, in stories set in the fortepiano era that happen to involve pianos. In effect (since the fortepiano took a long time to become popular), this period covers approximately the years 1770-1820 - the time of Mozart, Beethoven, and Jane Austen.

The use of fortepianos in works of popular culture appears to be relatively recent, since the historical revival of the instrument (with construction of replicas) achieved its present momentum only in the latter part of the 20th century. Often those who see fortepianos in works of popular culture mistake them for harpsichords.

The following is a list of works of popular culture in which fortepianos appear.

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• Amadeus (film) (1984) depicts Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart playing the fortepiano.
• The 1995 television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice contains several pieces that make use of this instrument.
• Another Jane Austen adaptation, a 1996 filming of Emma, also employed the fortepiano.
• Ang Lee and Emma Thompson's 1995 film adaptation of Austen's Sense and Sensibility displays a variety of fortepianos -- none of which are actually played; the sound track interpolates a modern instrument.
• The 1999 BBC miniseries dramatization of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel Wives and Daughters used a fortepiano of somewhat later provenance than those described above, befitting the novel's slightly later historical setting.