forte-piano

[ fawr-tey-pee-ah-noh; Italian fawr-te-pyah-naw ]

adjective

, Music.

1. loud and immediately soft.

forte-piano

/ ˌfɔːtɪˈpjɑːnəʊ /

adjective

1. loud and then immediately soft fp

noun

1. a note played in this way

Word History and Origins

Origin of forte-piano¹

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

The piano was first called the hammer-harpsichord, afterward by the Italian name forte-piano, as it could give both loud and soft tones, while the harpsichord produced only loud ones.

From Project Gutenberg

The next name given to it was forte-piano, which signified soft, with power; and this name became piano-forte, which it still retains.

From Project Gutenberg

Thus he wrote to Artaria in 1788: "I was obliged to buy a new forte-piano, that I might compose your clavier sonatas particularly well."

From Project Gutenberg

His instrument was called forte-piano or pianoforte, because it would strike loud or soft.

From Project Gutenberg

It is, perhaps, needless to say that the vastly enlarged possibilities, both technical and tonal, of the newly invented forte-piano were largely the outcome of this seeking for colour in music.

From Project Gutenberg