"Brightly the keys, all twinkling, linked, all harpsichording, called to a voice to sing the strain of dewy morn..." James Joyce
The harpsichord is widely seen as the forerunner of the modern day piano, the main difference being its plucking mechanism, rather than hammers, which gives it its distinct sound, the sound of the Renaissance and the Baroque, signalling in a new dawn for early music.
Concert pitch at the time was 415 Hz, approximately a semitone lower than today, which is 440 Hz. The harpsichord it very sensitive to fluctuations in temperature and humidity, and needs to be tuned at least once a day. The tuning process only takes about 20 minutes on average, so it is a small price to pay, for a beautiful, clean tone.
Not only is the harpsichord an excellent solo instrument, for which many works (such as sonatas, suites, toccatas, variations and many more) were written by composers such as B. Sweelinck, J. S. Bach, his son C. P. E. Bach, D. Scarlatti, Handel and F. Couperin, but the harpsichord, alongside the Organ, Theorbo and Lute, plays a central role in the basso continuo in most Baroque ensembles.
The harpsichord forms the harmonic bridge between melody and bass, and its central role within the basso continuo is comparable to the modern keyboard’s function in a rock, pop or jazz band.
One of the main features of the Baroque style for harpsichord is ornamentation, such as trills, mordents, turns and tremolo, which are particularly prominent in the French Baroque with composers such as Francois Couperin and Rameau. Many such ornaments can also be found in the famous Well-Tempered Clavier (1722) by J. S. Bach.
As a favoured instrument of the bourgeoisie and royalty, the untimely end of the harpsichord was brought about by the people’s revolts of the French Revolution (1789 to 1799), harpsichords and clavichords were thrown out of the windows onto the streets of Paris in anger and burned!
With the revival of early music in the 1970s, more and more new harpsichords were built. Pioneers such as B. Gustav Leonhardt, Ton Koopman and Nikolaus Harnoncourt reinvented Renaissance and Baroque style, and the harpsichord grew in popularity, and was once again seen on concert stages, and in chamber venues all around the world.
Today you can find harpsichords built in Flemish, French, Italian, Austrian and German styles all over the world. They all have their own individual character and tone. Historical performance practice has now become second nature for harpsichord players, and has influenced the way we approach modern keyboard instruments, and most importantly how we view the piano.
Jazz Scales & Patterns in all 12 Keys
Phrase like a pro!
for: Instrument [voice]
Music lesson book
Item no.: 493356
Book D
Bastien's Invitation to Music
for: Instrument [voice]
Music lesson book
Item no.: 175467
for: 2 harpsichords, strings, basso continuo
Single part harpsichord 1
Item no.: 188603
for: 2 harpsichords, strings, basso continuo
Single part harpsichord 2
Item no.: 188135
Edited from the sources
Wiener Urtext Edition
for: Piano [harpsichord]
Music score
Item no.: 223746
Eine praktische Musiklehre
Heft 1 – Übungsheft
for: Instrument [voice]
Study book
Item no.: 103240
Motette
for: Basso continuo
Set of parts
Item no.: 293212
Adapted for the Organ by Edward Miller
London 1785
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Music score
Item no.: 280771
Adapted for the Organ by Edward Miller
London 1785
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Music score
Item no.: 280723
"Triple Concerto"
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Harpsichord, flute, violin, strings, basso continuo
Single part (Harpsichord solo)
Item no.: 817357
for: Piano [harpsichord/organ]
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 119789
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Score
Item no.: 419198
Musica Mundi 21
for: Harpsichord, strings
Score
Item no.: 397723
arranged for harpsichord (piano)
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Item no.: 285085
Peters East German Library 1949-1990
for: Harpsichord
Music score
Item no.: 1665007
for: Harpsichord
Item no.: 1661563
Second Part of the Clavier Übung
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 1670879
Motette
for: Basso continuo
Set of parts
Item no.: 341758
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Music score
Item no.: 583653
Leichte bis mittelschwere Vor-, Zwischen- und Nachspiele
for: Organ [harmonium/harpsichord/piano]
Music score
Item no.: 1317242
for: Harpsichord
Music score
Item no.: 194585
Henle Urtext Editions
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 1696654
Henle Urtext Editions
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 401124
for: harpsichord [organ/piano]
Book
Item no.: 583679
for: Harpsichord, flute, violin, strings, basso continuo
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 1682052
Jedes Tier zeigt dir seinen Rhythmus
Für jeglichen musikalischen Basisunterricht in Musikschule, Grundschule und Kindergarten
for: Instrument [voice]
Music score
Item no.: 778535
Four and Four for Organ 1
for: Organ [harpsichord/ piano] four hand
Ensemble score
Item no.: 160919
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Item no.: 348610
for: Harpsichord [organ manuals]
Item no.: 476199
Übungen im Generalbass-Spiel und in gebundener Improvisation
for: Piano [harpsichord/organ]
Music lesson book
Item no.: 284778
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 401329
Part 2: BWV 870-893
Edition without fingering
Henle Studien-Edition
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 157163
for: 2 horns, string orchestra, harpsichord
Piano reduction, solo parts
Item no.: 139356
Urtext Edition,
Study score (pocket score)
for: Piano [harpsichord]
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 166942
Fassung: Carl Friedrich Rellstab, 1788-1790
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Ensemble score
Item no.: 145103
Grundlagen – Tipps – Übungen – Hörbeispiele
for: Instrument [voice]
Lesson book (with online media)
Item no.: 1550479
Henle Urtext Editions
for: Piano [harpsichord]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 664937
Embellished Version
Bärenreiter Trtext
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116761
without fingering
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 664942
Erstausgabe
Harmonia Coelestis Band 9
for: Harpsichord
Music score
Item no.: 623725
Six Sonatas for Keyboard
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score
Item no.: 745011
for: Harpsichord, piano, orchestra
Harpsichord [piano] (orchestral part)
Item no.: 1215684
"Sonate d'Intavolatura per Organo e Cimbalo"
Domenico Zipoli. Orgel- und Cembalowerke 1
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 196214
aus Wq 193
for: Organ [harp/harpsichord/piano]
Music score
Item no.: 130428
per Clavicembalo o Arpa, 2 Violini e Violoncello
for: Harpsichord [harp], piano
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 549650
for: Harpsichord, flute, violin, strings, basso continuo
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 162760
Erstveröffentlichung
for: Harpsichord, strings
Score
Item no.: 335591
Revidierte Interpretationsausgabe
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score
Item no.: 418152
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