Classical concert at Camden Opera House showcases historical ‘fortepiano’

CAMDEN, Maine (WABI) - One musician is taking audiences back in time with a classical performance of an artifact of music history.

“Fortepiano is a term that means ‘old piano,’” explains fortepianist Daniel Adam Maltz. “Fortepianos are the instruments for which Mozart and Beethoven both played on and composed for. They are made almost entirely out of wood, they don’t have the cast iron frame that sits in modern pianos today.”

Maltz is based in Vienna, Austria and specializes in Viennese Classicism, such as the aforementioned composers, and exclusively plays on Viennese fortepianos.

Maltz is coming to the Camden Opera House Friday as a stop on his concert tour, which spans over 50 cities.

For Maltz, it is imperative to play the classic piano in settings that resemble where they were originally performed. This includes intimate spaces like houses and small to mid-size concert halls.

“The ability to experience this music in a place like the Camden Opera House gets very close to the experience that was intended from these composers in the 18th century in Vienna,” Maltz said.

Knox Museum has organized the event, as Henry Knox, the “Forgotten Founding Father”, held a special connection to the fortepiano.

“It actually belonged to Henry and Lucy Knox, their daughter played it,” Museum Administrator Barbara Siemion details. “They would take it out on their porch when they would have their big parties. And Lucy played on the fortepiano that we have here.”

Tickets are still available. To purchase, visit Camden Opera House’s website.

For more information on Daniel Adam Maltz or Knox Museum, visit their respective websites.

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