BaL 12.04.14 - Schubert: Impromptus D899

[vinteuil]

Are there examples of the use of the word "fortepiano" in the literature of the period?

... I think our current use of the word "fortepiano" specifically to mean "the early piano" is relatively recent.

The all-knowing wiki tells us :

"The use of "fortepiano" to refer specifically to early pianos appears to be recent. Even the authoritative Oxford English Dictionary does not record this usage, noting only that "fortepiano" is "an early name of the pianoforte". During the age of the fortepiano, "fortepiano" and "pianoforte" were used interchangeably, as the OED's attestations show. Jane Austen, who lived in the age of the fortepiano, used "pianoforte" (also: "piano-forte", "piano forte") for the many occurrences of the instrument in her writings."

My 1933 OED does have quotations using "fortepiano" from 1769, 1771, 1824, 1840, 1844, 1879.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

My 1933 OED does have quotations using "fortepiano" from 1769, 1771, 1824, 1840, 1844, 1879.

Ah, thank you. That's the sort of information I was hankering after.

[vinteuil]

...

My 1933 OED does have quotations using "fortepiano" from 1769, 1771, 1824, 1840, 1844, 1879.

Ah, thank you. That's the sort of information I was hankering after.

... and my 1933 OED does have quotations using "pianoforte" from 1767, 1768, 1774, 1783, 1799, 1802, 1814, 1862, 1876, 1879...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

In that case, I'm just off to do some forte practice.

[verismissimo]

All this is further confused in current usage by the fact that "square pianos" (such as the Clementi of 1832 used by Peter Katin) are not deemed to be "fortepianos" (which are always of the grand variety).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I was thinking along the same lines. No square fortes.

And there was the Hammerklavier too.

[Don Petter]

Another small coincidence that you should happen to mention that shop. On Sunday we were on our way from an Italian restaurant in Panton Street (Nonna's Kitchen) to ROH for Jonas Kaufmann in Winterreise and happened to go down that small street and I commented to my wife that I didn't remember noticing the shop before. It was closed. Next time I'll go in.

It has been there since 1960!

[MickyD]

And even more confusing is that the French now use the term "pianoforte" to signify an early piano as opposed to a modern one!!

Vinteuil..I saw today that you can listen to some extracts on Amazon of the Orkis set...I rather like it.

[johnb]

I have the Uchida, which is my favorite, Schiff, and the Lupu. It is to bad that Uchida is only available by download now, if you are as averse to downloads as I am, but perhaps a used copy of the CD can be had at a reasonable price.
I'd like to hear Kempff and Zimmerman.

I'm not at all keen on Uchida's Schubert but the Kempff is available on YouTube - definitely worth hearing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn3FhAk8EPE

[CallMePaul]

And even more confusing is that the French now use the term "pianoforte" to signify an early piano as opposed to a modern one!!

And in Russian the modern piano is "fortepiano"! Frequently abbreviated to "f-no"

[CallMePaul]

There are two Brendel Philips (now Decca) versions.The 1970s analogue recording and the later digital one.

Both are currently available, I think. (The former in a Decca 7CD set, if not singly.)

My all-time favourite recording, for the work, is this analogue Brendel.

My copy of the 7-disc Decca set of Brendel's Schubert says clearly that it is the cycle of digital recordings 1987-88. I also have the early Brendel on LP on the much-missed Turnabout label, also Pires on DG. I am happy with these but would like to hear the cycle on a period instrument as well.

[MickyD]

And in Russian the modern piano is "fortepiano"! Frequently abbreviated to "f-no"

So confusing...maybe we should put the "lid" on this dilemma!

[Don Petter]

My copy of the 7-disc Decca set of Brendel's Schubert says clearly that it is the cycle of digital recordings 1987-88. I also have the early Brendel on LP on the much-missed Turnabout label, also Pires on DG. I am happy with these but would like to hear the cycle on a period instrument as well.

I was referring to the Eloquence set on Amazon, which clearly says in the title that it contains the 1970s analogue recordings:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/BRENDEL-PLAYS-SCHUBERT-RECORDINGS-DIGITAL/dp/B005C4VHWY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396981674&sr=8-1&keywords=brendel+schubert+1970

This must be a mistake on Amazon's part if you say that the notes of the set state otherwise. I assumed they were the recordings I am familiar with on the Philips Duo 456-061 containing the complete Impromptus and Moments Musicaux, which I think is no longer available.

[BBMmk2]

Has the Radu Lupu recording been deleted? I see it on amazon list, as part of the Decca Legends series.

[waldo]

Kempff, Lupu, Uchida and Brendel also on Spotify. Doesn't anyone else here use Spotify? (It doesn't seem to get mentioned that often.......) You can listen to about a hundred different recordings of D899 on it. It is free, if you don't mind adverts, or five quid a month if you do. I've been on a free membership for about a year and I listen to it everyday without any problem. (You can avoid adverts if you stop the track before it finishes.......) No better way of sampling music: convenient, easy to search and good quality sound. All you have to do is register - and off you go.