Until the late 18th century, orchestra musicians always played at the same volume – there was no piano, forte, crescendo, etc.
Music Volume
Category: Music
Symphony Conductors
Until the late 18th century, symphony conductors would play the violin or clavier (piano) while simultaneously leading the orchestra.
History of the Piano
History of the piano – Its immediate predecessor was called a clavichord. The volume of a clavichord, like a harpsichord, cannot be controlled, the loudness of each note is the same. However, the pitch of the notes of a clavichord change depending on whether the player presses the keys hard or light. Hit a key hard and the pitch goes up! The forte-piano was a considerable improvement, because the volume was adjustable depending on how hard the player hits the keys. Later the name evolved to pianoforte, which in Italian means “soft-loud,” and finally piano.
Chopin, The Composer
For a while, Chopin, the composer, wore a beard on only the left half of his face. He claimed that when he performed at the piano, the other side of his face didn’t matter since the audience saw only one side.
Beatles’ Recordings
The Beatles have sold over one billion recordings. If you stacked up all these records, tapes, and CDs, the pile would be almost 2,000 miles (3,200 km) tall.
Beethoven’s Brain Excitement
When Beethoven was ready to write music, he would start by pouring ice cold water over his head to excite his brain.
Fainting Over a Singer
In the 1940’s, all the young girls crowded the stage and fainted over a popular singer, just like they did in later eras over Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and now modern singers such as Justin Bieber. Who was it then? Frank Sinatra.
More Pianos and Organs
At one time, there were more pianos and organs in the US than bathtubs. Thomas Edison changed all that with the invention of machinery to record and play back music.
Violins
Violins have been made from wood, steel and pottery.
Outrageous Musical Instrument
The world’s most outrageous musical instrument was made in France during 1450. A long row of spikes was connected to a keyboard. Under each spike was a pig, arranged according to the pitch of its oink.
