forte-piano

9.9

An early piano from the 18th and early 19th centuries with a lighter, more delicate sound

noun
/ˌfɔrˈteɪ piˈɑːnoʊ/

Specialized

: fortepiano

The museum features a beautifully restored forte-piano from the late eighteenth century.

Examples

Unlike the modern piano, the forte-piano produces a lighter and more delicate tone.
In her recital, she performed Mozart sonatas on an authentic forte-piano to capture the period sound.
The forte-piano was a revolutionary instrument in its time.
Many composers wrote for the forte-piano during the classical period.
In her recital, she performed Mozart sonatas on an authentic forte-piano to capture the period sound.
The museum features a beautifully restored forte-piano from the late eighteenth century.
Unlike the modern piano, the forte-piano produces a lighter and more delicate tone.

Synonyms

piano

vsforte-piano

698 1.0

A large instrument with black and white keys you press to make music

is the earlier historical instrument from the 18th to early 19th centuries

pianoforte

vsforte-piano

Archaic

3 9.6

A large keyboard instrument like a piano where keys make hammers hit strings to make sound

focuses on the specific early type popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries

fortepiano

vsforte-piano

Specialized

1 9.8

An early piano used in the 1700s and early 1800s with a lighter, gentler sound

emphasizes capacity for strong and soft dynamics rather than a light tone

Surface Forms

forte-piano singular

forte-pianos plural

Morphology

forte-piano = forte + piano (semi-transparent) = forte + piano

The components are recognizable musical dynamics ('forte' = loud, 'piano' = soft), but the compound is a borrowed, specialized historical name for an early piano and its full sense is not directly deducible by an average learner.

Etymology

Forte-piano comes from the Italian words forte 'loud' and piano 'soft'. It was an early piano that could play both loud and soft, so its name tells you the instrument can change its volume.