Mozart’s favorite piano in performance at La Sierra University

Mozart wrote most of his piano masterpieces for the fortepiano, an early piano invented 100 years before Steinway. His letters show Mozart was particularly enthusiastic about his fortepiano made by Anton Walter, the most respected maker of his time.

But fortepianos are rare and most music lovers have never heard one played live in concert.Maltz, a pianist who specializes in Viennese music explains, “The fortepiano isn’t old technology in need of an upgrade. Mozart and Beethoven created works of genius by exploiting the unique characteristics of this instrument.” Maltz continued, “Many of their musical ideas are lost on modern pianos, because they are so wildly different from fortepianos. We do the music and ourselves a disservice by being blissfully unaware of this fact.”

Ingomar Rainer, chair emeritus of Historical Performance Practice at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna agrees. “We can see in the Mozart sonatas, in the Haydn sonatas how they really took a maximum from this instrument,” he said. “And these characteristics make, for me, a lot of musical experiences which are not possible on our contemporary instruments.”

Maltz lives in Vienna and studied historical music practice. He hosts “Classical Cake with Daniel Adam Maltz,” a podcast about Viennese classical music. Further information is available at danieladammaltz.com. The Period Piano Collection is a nonprofit that exhibits 18th and 19th century pianos. Learn more at www.period-pianos.org.

Experience the Viennese fortepiano on Thursday, Nov. 21 at Hole Memorial Auditorium at La Sierra University. The performance starts at 7pm. Tickets are $5 – $15 at the door. For futher information call 951-785-2036 or email music@lasierra.edu.