L'Art de bien chanter: French pianos and their music before 1820

French pianos and piano-styles before 1820 have received little attention in the fortepiano revival of the last 25 years. Influenced by vocal styles, their development followed a different path from that in other regions of Europe. Other factors include the popularity of the tympanon and the tangent piano, the limited role of keyboard instruments in basso continuo after 1770, the lack of clavichords, the dominance of accompanied sonatas in keyboard repertoire, and the influence of organ technique, which resulted in an early use of overlapping legato and dense accompanimental textures.; The Viennese piano, used in Paris concerts in 1784, was criticized for its lack of Harmonie (fully resonant sound); the English piano for its heavy action. Sebastien Erard achieved a successful fusion of both types of piano in 1809 with the etrier-action piano. A characteristic feature was son continu, fast repeating notes or tremolos, and heard as continuous sound of which the dynamic level could be varied at will. This technique, already used by Edelmann in the 1770s, was made famous by Steibelt and underscored the French taste for legato, evident in both the technical development of the piano and in compositional techniques. Another typical feature is the use of harp-textures, as seen in works by Boieldieu and Dussek, producing Harmonie.; The first half of this study focuses on the reception of the piano in France, inventories of instruments (including Bruni's 1794 list of confiscated instruments), and Erard's inventions. The second half is devoted to piano styles, beginning with Schobert, Eckard, Hullmandel, Edelmann, Adam, and others. Ca. 1790 a densely textured piano style became the norm, which relied on overlapping legato rather than the pedal to create sustained sounds. The influence of Clementi and Dussek is examined, as well as French influences on their works. From ca. 1785 the piano became the preferred accompanimental instrument of vocal Romances and, from 1800, Nocturnes. After 1795, the focus on technique at the Conservatoire contrasted increasingly with the application of bel canto singing styles in private music making, as seen in works by Montgeroult, Dussek, Pradher, Rigel, Boely, and Herold.