Fortepianist | Pianofortist
“Joan Travé has chosen historical performance with the Fortepiano, an instrument that allows him to interpret music from the 18th century and early 19th century in the way it was originally written and conceived, thus providing an authentic new perspective on these works.”
In addition to his concert activities, he is a professor of Fortepiano at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt am Main.
The Fortepianist is also known as Forte-pianist, Forte pianist, or Pianofortist.
Training as a Fortepianist
He completed a master’s degree in Historical Performance Practice with a specialization in fortepiano at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt. This postgraduate program provided him with a deep understanding of the historical circumstances and interpretive techniques based on ancient sources and treatises, giving him a personal perspective on the music of past centuries.
Differences between the Fortepiano and the modern piano
The fortepiano has the characteristic that it can vary the volume of each note depending on how it is played. The tone of the fortepiano is quite different from that of the modern piano, as it is softer and has less sustain. Dynamic accents (sforzando) tend to stand out more than on the modern piano because they differ from the softer notes in both timbre and volume, and decay quickly.
Fortepianos also tend to have a rather different tone quality across their registers: a slight buzz in the bass, a “ringing” in the high treble, and a rounder tone (closer to the modern piano) in the middle range. In comparison, modern pianos are much more uniform in tone across their range.
“Joan Travé commissioned the restoration of a fortepiano; this was a fascinating process that required, from the restorer, a combination of technical skills and a deep respect for the instrument’s history.”