Cristofori's Dream by David Lanz

Album: Cristofori's Dream (1988)

License This Song

Songfacts®:

This piano piece is the most famous work of the American composer David Lanz. He named it after Bartolomeo Cristofori, who invented the piano. "This song was inspired by reading a book about the piano where I discovered for the first time the name and story of the inventor of the piano: Cristofori," Lanz said in his Songfacts interview. This was a magic moment for me, and the title, 'Cristofori's Dream,' struck me right away! I wanted this piece to sound somewhat classical and also a bit like a romantic Italian movie theme (Cristofoi was Italian). This piece set the stage for my career."
This song fell into the "New Age" category, which was on the rise with acts like Yanni, Kenny G and Enya selling millions. When Billboard introduced the New Age Albums chart in 1988, Cristofori's Dream was the inaugural #1.

Comments: 1

Purplesuzh from Washington StateAbsolutely amazing. This song takes me to another place. It's like seeing an old friend that you haven't seen in a long while. Warm and relaxing.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Carrie AnneThe Hollies

The Hollies' 1967 hit "Carrie Anne" is about the British singer-actress Marianne Faithfull, but with "Marianne" changed to "Carrie-Anne" to disguise it. Faithfull dated Allan Clarke of The Hollies.

It really was so easy for Linda Ronstadt to score a hit with her Buddy Holly cover of "It's So Easy." She would sometimes change the lyric to: "It's so easy to have a hit, all you have to do is recycle it."

Party Rock AnthemLMFAO

"Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO was only the second #1 hit on the Hot 100 with "Party" in the title. The first was Lesley Gore's "It's My Party."

Black WidowIggy Azalea

Katy Perry co-wrote Iggy Azalea's hit single "Black Widow." Perry was originally going to sing on the track, but she couldn't fit it into her schedule, so Rita Ora provided the sung vocals instead.

The ReasonHoobastank

"The Reason" by Hoobastank took off on TikTok in 2021 when it soundtracked confessional #NotAPerfectPerson videos about mistakes and regrets. The band made one of their own with the caption: "Realizing 20 years later that you named your band Hoobastank."

Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)Shakira and Freshlyground

Shakira calls her sons Milan and Sasha her "Waka Kids" because she met their father, Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué, on the video shoot for "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)," the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Editor's Picks

Eric BurdonSongwriter Interviews

The renown rock singer talks about "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."

La La Brooks of The CrystalsSong Writing

The lead singer on "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me," La La explains how and why Phil Spector replaced The Crystals with Darlene Love on "He's A Rebel."

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.