Bach

1685-1750

Johann Sebastian Bach received his first harpsichord and theory lessons from his brother, a professional organist and young Johann's guardian on the death of their parents. The nine-year-old boy was already interested in music and used to copy out scores from his brother's collection of manuscripts, often late into the night.

Bach was the first major composer to write a keyboard concerto. The harpsichord at that time was generally used for accompanying other instruments, but Bach treated it as a solo instrument. He also wrote concertos for two, three, and even four harpsichords.

Italian Concerto
(audio clip)

  1. Allegro
  2. Andante
  3. Presto
Bach wrote his Italian Concerto in 1735. It is for solo keyboard, which is unusual, as Bach's concertos usually have orchestral accompaniment. Bach gave the piece this title to indicate that it was written in an Italian style. The third and final movement, Presto, is one of the most rhythmically exciting of Bach's concerto movements.

Performed by Stanislav Bunin (piano)
P1990

The Piano

How the Piano Works

It could be argued that the piano is a stringed instrument, as much of its sound is created by vibrating strings. But in the traditional grouping of instruments the piano has always been a member of the keyboard family. The mechanics of the piano--how the keys lift the hammers to strike the strings--is called the "action." The sound of the instrument--whether round and smooth, or sharp and jerky-- depends a lot on how good the action is. A good action must be responsive and, very important, the correct "weight." A heavy action will tire the player--too much effort is required to press the keys. A light action may seem easy to work with at first, but may cause the player to strike some notes accidentally. It is important that each hammer is identically weighted and at the same distance from the string-- some notes will sound more quickly than others.

The sound created by the vibrating strings is amplified by the soundboard, which acts like a diaphragm to improve the resonance of the instrument. The wooden case, or cabinet, acts like a sound box and helps swell the sound. The piano lid on the top of the case can be opened to increase the volume of sound.


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