Bartolomeo di Francesco Cristofori, credited with the invention of the piano, at the time called the gravicembalo col piano e forte, or “harpsichord that plays soft and loud", as he made the harpsichord.  The Encyclopedia of Britannica states that "The name refers to the piano’s ability to change loudness according to the amount of pressure on the keys, a quality foreign to the harpsichord. Cristofori achieved that effect by replacing the plucking mechanism of the harpsichord with a hammer action capable of striking the strings with greater or lesser force." (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020). 

     He was born on May 4, 1655, in Padua, Republic of Venice [Italy]. Not much is told about Cristifori's early life, although what we do know is that he move to Florence around 1690 per request of Prince Ferdinando de’Medici, an accomplished harpsichordist, this suggests that by that time Cristifori had already developed a profession as an instrument builder. Apparently, around 1709 Cristofori invented the piano, although around 1926 was when he had developed his invention to fit with the essentials of a modern piano. His pianos were responsive and had a dynamic range, this was the conclusion based on the judgments of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Museum of Musical Instruments in Leipzig, and the Museum of Musical Instruments in Rome.  

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