fortepiano

Early 18th-century piano invented by Italian instrument maker Bartolommeo Cristofori in 1709. It has small, leather-bound hammers and harpsichord strings. Unlike the harpsichord, it can produce a varying intensity of tone, depending on the pressure of the player's touch, hence the name, which means ‘loud-soft’ in Italian.

It was rendered obsolete by technical developments, but has been revived by performers working with period instruments. Present-day performers include Trevor Pinnock, Gustav Leonhardt, and Jörg Demus.