The pantaleon's popularity likely paved the way for the pianoforte, as several clavier-makers experimented with hammer mechanisms around 1730.
Instruments
No original pantaleon instruments have survived, nor are there any construction designs or concrete descriptions, making reconstruction difficult.
Composer Biography
Antonio Caldara, born in 1670/1, grew up in a Venetian family of musicians and was trained as a singer and cellist at St. Mark's Cathedral.
Composer Biography
From 1716, Caldara headed the Viennese court chapel under Emperor Charles VI, who was very interested in music and highly valued the composer.
Instruments
The pantaleon, a dulcimer perfected by Pantaleon Hebenstreit, was named after its inventor by King Louis XIV of France.
Composer Biography
Caldara served Cardinal Ruspoli in Rome, a city unique in Europe for its sponsorship of the arts, where he wrote over two hundred cantatas, four operas, three intermezzos, and nine oratorios.
Instruments
The pantaleon was an exceptionally large instrument, measuring between 195 and 308 cm in length and featuring around 185 strings, often with multiple strings per note.
You might also enjoy...
The Musical Treasures Of Leufsta Bruk
Battaglia - Works by Biber, Schmelzer, Castello, Fux et al.
Variety - The Art of Variation. Works for Violin by Biber, Fux & Schmelzer
Altissima: Works for High Baroque Trumpet
Splendid Harmony - 17th Century Instrumental Music by Students of Heinrich Schütz
