What is the oldest song on piano?

Alec Coles-Aldridge explores '12 Sonate de cimbalo di piano e forte'; the earliest music in any genre written specifically for piano.

pianistmagazine.com - The world's oldest piece of piano sheet music - Pianist Magazine

Should I buy OEM or original?

Choosing OEM over aftermarket OEM products are going to match what's being replaced and that guarantees function and quality. You'll be getting the...

Last updated Aug 16, 2019

What to do with your lips when making out?

Keep your mouth soft and relaxed. — and also, well, again literally. Both a cranked-open jaw and a closed-mouth, hard pucker aren't the most...

Last updated Jul 2, 2022

Promotion

The existence of music has been a matter of fact for thousands of years. Ancient civilisations show evidence that music was an integral part of human existence, even thousands of years ago. In ancient Egypt, music was consumed in ceremonies, on the battlefield, in burial chambers and on farms. In ancient Celtic culture, music was used as a weapon to terrify opponents in battle; the trumpet-like Carnyx delivering a powerfully disturbing cry on the battlefield. And during the Song dynasty – an era of Chinese history beginning in 960AD - music blossomed in the form of Nanxi, a type of opera combining folk songs and ballads. Throughout these years, much of this music was only ever heard and not notated. On the few occasions that music was committed to writing and survived to the present day, these jewels of evidence shed light on how music was played and how it sounded. The world’s earliest written music from Ugarit in Syria is over 3000 years old, and it provides a glimpse into the world’s oldest song. But what about the more recently invented piano? Who wrote the very first piece of music for this instrument we all love? The story of the earliest piano music is no less fascinating. Enter the 12 Sonate da cimbalo di piano e forte. How are pianos made? Alec Coles-Aldridge explores the process of how the much-loved instrument came into existence.

12 Sonatas make piano history

Written just after the invention of the piano, these twelve pieces are the oldest piano sheet music in the world. They were composed by Lodovico Giustini, an Italian organist, composer and harpsichord player who came from a long lineage of accomplished musicians dating back to the early 17th century. At the time of the music’s publication in 1732, the piano was still a new invention; the first piano having been created just 32 years’ prior in 1700. The instruments were very few in number and were mainly spread amongst European royalty. Fascinatingly, the 12 pieces in Sonate da cimbalo di piano e forte are dedicated to Dom António de Bragança, the brother of King João V of Portugal; the Portuguese court being one of the most enthusiastic places to receive the newly constructed pianos. To delve into the wonders of the Sonate da cimbalo di piano e forte, we first have to understand the capabilities of the newly invented piano. Most importantly and unlike the harpsichord, the piano was capable of a wide dynamic range. This opened up a world of expressive possibility. The 12 pieces explore these new capabilities offered by the piano with clear markings for forte and piano. Check out the manuscript below, taken from the first edition published in Florence in 1732. You’ll notice how it includes clearly marked forte and piano dynamics in bars 1 and 3.

Content continues after advertisements

See if you can follow the sheet music whilst listening to a recording below from the same piece, the Giga of Sonata No.2. The world’s oldest piece of piano sheet music can really give us a glimpse into what piano composers thought the piano was capable of achieving when they were first invented. Almost 300 years later, we are still discovering new ways of using this magnificent instrument. Long may it continue!

HOw long does it take to get Grade 8 piano?

Children who get to piano grade 8 have often been playing for around 10 years. Some adults and older teenagers can do grade 8 piano in 3 years if...

Last updated Oct 23, 2021

Which is better Yamaha P45 or Yamaha P125?

The P45 uses the Advanced Wave Memory sampling, which is perfectly adequate, but slightly less impressive. While the pianos both feel the same, the...

Last updated Dec 31, 2018

Promotion

What is the oldest song on Spotify?

The Hymn Of Ugarit Believe it or not, the oldest song on Spotify is actually the oldest song in the world. Titled “The Hymn Of Ugarit,” the track is a modern recording by Al-Pha-X of what is the oldest known piece of music ever discovered. The song dates back to 14th century B.C.E. and was discovered on a clay tablet in the 1950s.

extrachill.com - The Oldest Song on Spotify - Extra Chill

Believe it or not, the oldest song on Spotify is actually the oldest song in the world. Titled “The Hymn Of Ugarit,” the track is a modern recording by Al-Pha-X of what is the oldest known piece of music ever discovered. The song dates back to 14th century B.C.E. and was discovered on a clay tablet in the 1950s. Obviously this particular version of the song was not recorded 3,400 years ago, but rather in 2008, so it may not be what you’re looking for. With this in mind, we’ve also dug up the oldest recordings on Spotify. The oldest music recording available on Spotify is a French compilation album titled Anthologie De La Chanson Française, which has recordings dating between 1900 and 1920. Singers included on the compilation include Henri Fursy, Lucien Boyer, Ainé Mevisto, Gabriel Montoya, and more. Recordings didn’t exist for very long before 1900, and especially not music recordings. It was a while before people fine-tuned the technology enough to produce the high-quality music recordings we are accustomed with these days. Still, it can be interesting to hear music from a time past, and that’s why we’ve gathered here today. If you’re interested in hearing some even older recordings, albeit not music, Spotify also has a compilation called The Oldest Recorded Voices in History. This compilation includes speeches dating between 1888 and 1912, from people like Robert Browning, Thomas Edison, Florence Nightingale, and more. Stream Al-Pha-X’s recording of “The Hymn of Ugarit” below. Check out the French compilation from the early 1900s below that, and at the bottom see the compilation of old recorded voices. Finally, for the curious, also see our post about the longest song on Spotify.

Who was a better pianist Chopin or Liszt?

Chopin's piano works are often technically demanding, emphasizing nuance and expressive depth but Chopin was not a piano maestro in the way that...

Last updated Mar 28, 2021

What is the loudest instrument in a concert band?

While the French horn may be the loudest instrument, it is by no means the only one that produces dangerously loud sounds. Below is a list of...

Last updated Aug 9, 2018

Promotion

Where should I look when playing piano?

Now, without moving your head, look down your nose at your hands. Only your eyes should move — nothing else. Then when you look back up at the...

Last updated Mar 5, 2022

Promotion

Where do people kiss 3 times?

Three Kisses: Belgium, Slovenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Egypt, and Russia (where it's accompanied by a bear...

Last updated Jan 20, 2021