History of Music - Classical Instruments
While the first instruments to play in an orchestra were the violin, viola, cello, harpsichord, organ, piano, and lute and the history of music dates back thousands of years. The focus of this page will be on the Piano and the Boardwalk Organ. The organ, is often called "the king" of complex instruments since it is one of the most comlplex instruments ever created. With a history of 2,000+ years the organ has made its place in history. The video above is of the Midmer-Losh Pipe Organ. Built between 1929 and 1932 inside Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, it is recognized as the world's largest, and often considered the premier, historic, and technically oldest "boardwalk" (concert hall) organ still in use. It features 33,112 pipes, seven manuals, and is currently undergoing restoration to full functionality.
The picture below is a picture of the first piano ever made. It is called the "Cristofori Piano" and it is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The piano was was orginally invented by Bartolomeo Christof arounnd the year 1700. As a harpsichord maker for the Medici family, it is said that he developed the piano to allow musicians to control volume through thouch. The harpsichord did not have the ability to control volume because it used a plucking mechanism. The piano used a hammer to replace the plucking mechanism of the harpsichords. The harder the musician pressed the key, the louder the sound.
Below is a picture of the Cristofori Piano:
