Mozart did not play on the 88 key piano we have today. The 88 key piano was created by Beethoven when he started writing pieces for the 88 key piano that had yet to be created by the piano manufacturers of his day. Beethoven was such a rock star that the aristocracy pressured the manufacturers into changing the design of the piano so that they could hear the pieces that Beethoven had written. Mozart was born in 1756, 24 years before Beethoven was born and so Mozart played on the 66 key Fortepiano which you can see in this video. The keys are thinner and closer together and therefor are more difficult to play. I remember playing on Mozart’s 66 key piano in Salzburg way back in 1978 when I visited his house. Luckily I was also able to visit Beethoven’s home in Bonn in 1982. I definitely recommend a visit if you can get to Europe.
// by HurleyPiano