It was between 1709 and 1717 that Bartolomeo Cristofori[7] in Italy, Jean Marius[8] in France and Gottlieb Schröter[9] in Germany experimented with the basics of the hammer mechanism. Of the three inventors Marius disappeared forgotten, Schröter claimed the priority of an invention of which certain details recall that, earlier of Cristofori. Today it is the latter who is considered the initiator of the pianoforte with his “Gravecembalo col piano e forte”[10]. However, the sound effect of this instrument still remained close to the harpsichord even though Cristofori had brought to the playing revolutionary possibilities of progressive dynamic nuances. Cristofori died in 1731 without his work having really seduced. Cristofori, Marius and Schröter made no profit from their inventions as is often the case. It was a newcomer Gottfried Silbermann whose mechanics were inspired by both Schröter and Cristofori who benefited from their efforts.

A few years later, Cristofori's technique was taken up, continued and perfected in particular by Gottfried Silbermann in Germany, by Zumpe, Schudi, Broadwood in England, Pleyel in France ...

Without going into technical detail, two types of mechanics ended up coexisting until the end of the 19th century:

English mechanics (also used in French pianofortes, for example on the pianos of Ignace Pleyel[11]), known as push-button, requires a great tension of the strings and therefore a rather massive general structure of the instrument: it is this technique which has finally endured on current large concert pianos, thanks to the improvement brought about by the so-called “double escapement” system invented by Sébastien Erard (see below).

The Viennese mechanism known as "Prellmechanik", is lighter than the English mechanism with a very small hammer covered with leather, and a simple escapement system which multiplies the force of the fingers. Vienna then plays the role of musical capital of Europe. It is the most important centerpiece of the pianoforte, this instrument which has already established its supremacy over the harpsichord. This is the type of instrument, made by Andreas Stein[12], for which Mozart, Haydn or the young Beethoven wrote. In addition, Stein is credited with introducing knee-lever for disengaging all the dampers from the strings, (precursor to the equivalent of modern piano pedals). Such a device had been devised by Gottfried Silbermann in the 1740s but, operated by two hand levers it required the use of the player's hands to operate them and therefore could only be deployed in music during pauses.

In the game of competition, Anglo-French mechanics supplanted Viennese mechanics, yet the great and magnificent Bösendörfer’s of the 1890s are still animated by Viennese specificities.

[7] Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731) and his « Gravecembalo col piano e forte » (harpsichord with piano & loud).

[8] Jean Marius (??) and his « mallet harpsichords ».

[9] Gottlieb Schröter (1699-1782).

[10] A copy of this instrument dated 1720 still in working condition exists in the Metropolitan Museum.

[11] Ignace Joseph Pleyel (1757-1831), compositeur, élève de Haydn éditeur conçoit son premier pianoforte en 1802

[12] Johann Andreas Stein (1728-1792). Nearly thirty years older than Mozart, Stein trained in his father’s workshop, an organ builder based in the province of Baden. At the age of 20, he went to study at J.A. Silbermann in Strasbourg. His interest in the pianoforte certainly dates from this stay and was confirmed during his participation in the work of Franz J. Späth's workshop in Regensburg. At 23, he established his own workshop in Augsburg, first as an organ builder, but soon as a pianoforte maker. His experiments and inventions brought a lot to the new instrument.