Harpsichord

[toejamfootball]

I don't know why, sometimes listen to a hapsichord recording may be boring to me (maybe the lack of dynamics compared to the piano?), but I guess that listen to a hapsichord live would be a fascinating experience (I never had the oportunity to do so). Interesting to discover that the hapsichord is hard to tune (harder than the piano?).

Thanks for the precious info, Krummhorn.

What Harpsichord music have you listened too? I sometimes find Piano boring (I prefer Fortepiano though so maybe thats why) compared with Harpsichord so I guess to each his own. Have you heard Rameau suites? Handel is also great as Rod said.

[Rachmaninoff]

Have you heard Rameau suites? Handel is also great as Rod said.

No, I never heard Rameau, but I'll start looking for it right now. I heard many Handel pieces, but no one for solo hapsichord (I guess). Thanks for the info.

[NEB]

I've played the harpsichord on several occasions as part of the continuo section for various Baroque oratorios. It's a most interesting place to be.

[Fretless]

I love the sound of the harpsichord. There was one in a piano shop I was looking round - I wish I could have played it all day!

Alternatively, I could have built one out of Lego...

Daniel

Very interesting. The audio example-- Definitely a Bach Legotomy.

[Krummhorn]

I love the sound of the harpsichord. There was one in a piano shop I was looking round - I wish I could have played it all day!
Daniel

The music store I worked in years back had two harpsichords for a bit. Both were Sabathil's (made in Canada, I think), one was a single manual with 2 sets of strings and the other a two manual with 3 sets of strings. Delightful instruments to play but real boogers to tune.

[NEB]

Yeah - of course -without the Iron frame they move under the strain of the strings don't they and as you tune them in something else moves out...

[Krummhorn]

Exactly, NEB ... eventually I just resorted to doing 'touch up' on a few notes when they got really sour.

The other thing that didn't help the situation much either that the only place these two 'fragile' instruments could be situated were in the store window display which as luck would have it, faced West ... ... but, I had no say in that decision.

[NEB]

Makes for an impressive window display, scatter a few viols around, and some period looking music stands and chairs...

[Krummhorn]

I wished the 'window dressing' could have looked that good, NEB. The 'window stage' was a simple 6" raised platform with really tacky looking red carpet that was torn in a few places (this was a really low budget kind of music store), and the outer edges of the windows were trimmed with these 1970's look of flashing lights - the ones that appear to be "chasing" in a sequential pattern - it really looked terrible.
Fortunately, I was in Institutional Sales (church organs) for that store and only had to spend 3 hours one evening a week on the sales floor which was spent trying to convince somebody to buy an organ or piano you know they didn't want in the first place .

[chromaticism]

I think it would be safe to assume that most baroque chamber music had the harpsichord as a continuo instrument. I would agree with most that Couperin had wonderful harpsichord compositions plus I think nobody can get away from this topic without even thinking of Bach (Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, Well-Tempered Clavier). I also remember being dazzled by Antonio Soler's Fandango as a solo harpsichord piece.

[NEB]

scarlatti perhaps?

[Contratrombone64]

There is just so much more (and often better) harpsichord music than mentioned here ... just pick up a CD of Gustav Leonhardt (spelling?), for example. The mid-Baroque is a rich field of harpsichord music. All the composers from that era are practically unknown to me, a fine harpsichordist (played with the Australian Chamber Orchestra) put me onto Gustav's interpretations. He's just so devoted, so deep, so insightful.

[Soubasse]

I'll second Leonhardt - a beautiful player. My harpsichord teacher said he had difficulty recommending anyone else when it came to sourcing recordings.

Tuning? yes, well, I sometimes feel that I spent more time tuning the harpsichord than I did playing it!

Definitely get into some Rameau as well if you can manage it. I've compared up to six recordings of the popular "Gavotte and Variations" and believe it or not, my favourite is still Francis Monkman's performance on the Sky 2 album!