This chapter on keyboard instruments in the Classical period includes a discussion of the continued use of the harpsichord and clavichord by composers such as Mozart and Haydn, as well as throughout Europe, as documented in the writings of Charles Burney. The origins of the English and German/Austrian schools of piano making are discussed, in particular the work of Johann Christoph Zumpe and others referred to as the “Twelve Apostles,” and the Broadwood firm in London, as well as that of Johann Andreas Stein in Augsburg, and Geschwister Stein and Anton Walter in Vienna. Included are technical descriptions of the keyboard instruments used by the principal composers of the period, as well as revelations about the condition and authenticity of the piano said to have been made by Anton Walter and owned by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The inventive work of Johann Andreas Stein, in particular his so-called Vis-à-vis combination piano/harpsichord, is discussed.

This chapter presents an overview of instrumental music performances within the rarified environs of the royal court and associated social and political circles. It draws on the holdings of the Conservatory of Naples Library (San Pietro a Majella), the present-day custodian of the original possessions from the royal archive – which reveal a much broader, extensive collection of instrumental music from the late eighteenth century. This body of material includes a thorough representation of the composers who visited Naples and were promoted by Norbert Hadrava – namely Ignaz Pleyel, Adalbert Gyrowetz, and Johann Sterkel. The music under examination represents different instrumental genres – including sonatas (solo and duo), string quartets, string quintets, concertos, and sinfonie – revealing a broad cultivation of these forms. Through the coordination of contextual sources with extant works, as well as their careful examination and analysis, a detailed snapshot may be established of Maria Carolina’s tastes in instrumental music.