The fortepiano is tuned to 420 Hz, a common concert pitch from the late 18th century.
Performer Biography
Trudelies Leonhardt has a particular interest in fortepianos from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, now dedicating all her musical activity to them.
Instruments
The fortepiano used for this recording is a 1992 copy by Paul McNulty of a Viennese fortepiano made by Anton Walter in 1795.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mozart's ideal keyboard instrument seems to have been the fortepiano, specifically those made by Anton Walter, despite criticisms from his friend Joseph Haydn.
Composer Biography
Mozart owned a fortepiano built by Anton Walter in 1780, which he acquired in 1784; this instrument is preserved in the Mozart Geburtshaus in Salzburg.
Instruments
The fortepiano on this recording has three knee levers to change its timbre: lifting dampers, a moderator (felt strip), and shifting hammers to strike only one string (una corda).
Performer Biography
Trudelies Leonhardt, the fortepiano soloist on this album, comes from a family of musicians, and her brother is the renowned harpsichordist Gustav Leonhardt.
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