piano, including the history and use of the instrument. The piano is one of the most popular musical instruments in the world, and pianos have been in use in orchestras and in homes for hundreds of years. The first piano was created from another similar instrument, the harpsichord, and it was invented in Italy. The editors at Wikipedia note, "The invention of the modern piano is credited to Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731) of Padua, Italy" ("Piano"). The first piano appeared in a Medici family inventory from 1700, and their popularity grew from there, especially after another Italian wrote an enthusiastic article about Cristofori's invention, along with diagrams of how the piano worked. Other people started building them, and the piano spread around the world. The first piano manufacturer in England appeared in 1730, and the first published piano music appeared in 1732 ("The Piano Timeline"). Early manufacturers were small, often family...
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