Bartolomeu Cristofori, a harpsichord maker who lived in Florence, Italy, built the first piano about the 1700 year and called it Gravicembalo col Piano e Forte (hapsichord with sweet and strong sounds). While the harpsichord's strings are hit by nibs, the piano has its strings hit by hammers (coated by leather in the first models) and the keyboard's dynamics can be changed according to the fingers' pressure. It gave to the piano a enormous expression's capacity and created a serial of new possibilities.
Initially,
the piano wasn't popular because the first models was very precarious. In
this time, the keyboard's music was printed with the indication
for pianoforte or harpsichord, but in the end of 18 century,
the harpsichord already was obsolete and it was changed by the
piano.
In despite of the piano had been created by a italian one, were the german piano maker who developed the piano. The piano maker more famous were: Silbermann, Zumpe, J. Stein. The english instruments maker started to build pianos too, with mecanism more strong and with exuberant sounds. John Brodwood was responsible by the big changes in the instrument: in 1783 he patented the two piano's pedals ( the soft and strong pedals). In 1790 he made the first piano with 5 1/2 octaves and, in 1794, he made one piano with 6 octaves.
In 1821, Erard created the "double escape" and it permited a great advance in the touch's sensibility. After to hit the string, the double escape placed the hammer in a small distance from the same string while the key was down. The repetitive notes became possibille after this invention .
In the 19 century, the piano received various betterments. The number of notes was foi increased, the strings became more lenghty and thick, the hammers started to be covered by felt. The romantics composers started to explore all the piano's resourses. The more important romantic composers who wrote music for the piano were: Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt e Brahms.
About in 1800 was created the vertical piano, more cheap than the horizontal piano build in this time. This kind of piano became very popular and was one common piece of furniture in the almost all parlour.
Around the 1880 year, the main stages in the piano's evolution were vanquiched and the posterior period was only to perfect various details.