Bartolomeo Cristofori

History

Bartolomeo Cristofori (1653-1731) was an important figure in the history of musical instruments, most famous as the inventor of the piano. Sources contain conflicting information regarding his birth year; John Dilworth states he was born in 1653 in Padua, while Cecie Stainer suggests he was born probably on May 4, 1655, in Padua. He died in 1731 in Florence, Italy. His name appears on the list of apprentices in the household of Nicolò Amati in Cremona in 1680. By 1709, according to John Dilworth, he was in Florence and officially appointed musical instrument maker to Prince Ferdinando. Cecie Stainer notes he settled in Florence in 1710. After Prince Ferdinando's death in 1713, Cristofori was responsible for the inventory of his instrument collection, which was drawn up in 1716 and is considered an immensely important document.

Craft

• Subheading: Instruments: Cristofori was most famous as a maker of keyboards and as the inventor of the piano. He also made stringed instruments, including a double bass and several large-size cellos.
• Subheading: Workmanship: Sources contain conflicting information regarding the quality of his workmanship. Cecie Stainer notes that the workmanship of a double bass dated 1715 "leaves much to be desired." However, John Dilworth describes his large-size cellos as being of "very fine and distinctive form" and "very refined, with recognisably Cremonese proportions."
• Subheading: Labels: His labels include "Bartolommeo Cristofori / Firenze 1715" and "Bartholomaeus de Christofaris / Patavinus / faciebat Florentiae 1718."

Influence

• Subheading: Mentorship: Cristofori's name appears on the list of apprentices in the household of Nicolò Amati in Cremona in 1680.
• Subheading: Possible Pupil: John Dilworth suggests that Gabrielli may have been a pupil of Cristofori, noting that Cristofori's cellos "recall strongly the style of Gabrielli."

Legacy

• Subheading: Museum Collections: A double bass with his label dated 1715 is preserved in the Cherubini Museum in Florence.
• Subheading: Historical Documents: The catalogue of Prince Ferdinando's instrument collection, for which Cristofori was responsible in 1716, is considered an immensely important document.

Further Information

• Subheading: Locations: Cristofori was born in Padua, was an apprentice in Cremona, and settled in Florence by 1709 or 1710.
• Subheading: Appointments: He was officially appointed musical instrument maker to Prince Ferdinando in Florence.

Summary

Bartolomeo Cristofori (1653-1731) was an influential Italian musical instrument maker, widely recognized as the inventor of the piano. Born in Padua, he served as an apprentice in Nicolò Amati's household before settling in Florence, where he became the official instrument maker to Prince Ferdinando. Besides his groundbreaking work on keyboards, Cristofori also crafted stringed instruments such as double basses and cellos, though the quality of his workmanship has been subject to varying historical accounts.