Surviving Instruments
Nine instruments that survive today are attributed to Cristofori:
- The three pianos described above
- Two oval spinets, from 1690 and 1693. The 1690 instrument is kept in the Museo degli strumenti musicali, part of the Galleria del Accademia in Florence. The 1693 oval spinet is in the Musikinstrumenten-Museum of the University of Leipzig.
- A spinettone, also in the Leipzig museum
- An early (17th century) harpsichord, with a case made of ebony. It is kept in the Museo degli strumenti musicali in Florence. An image can be viewed at the website of harpsichord builder Tony Chinnery.
- A harpsichord dated 1722, in the Leipzig museum.
- A 1726 harpsichord, in the Leipzig museum. It has the disposition 1 x 8', 1 x 4', 1 x 2' and is the only known Italian harpsichord with a two foot stop. The instrument illustrates Cristofori's ingenuity in the large number of levers and extensions that permit the player great flexibility in determining which strings will sound. There are six basic registrations: 8', 8'+4', 4', 4'+2', 2', 8'+ 4'+2'; in addition, the player may add 4', 2' or 4'+2' to the 8' stop just in notes of the bass range.
The later instruments, dating from Cristofori's old age, probably include work by assistant Giovanni Ferrini, who went on after the inventor's death to build pianos of wider range using the same basic design.
Read more about this topic: Bartolomeo Cristofori
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