"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.
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Item no.: 195353
Kantate
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 229972
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 229987
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 230339
BuxWV 43
Einzelstimme B.c.
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 234382
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 230083
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 230220
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 229757
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 229999
from "The Old Bachelor"
Z. T685
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 4230
aus: B. Schmid, Tabulatur Buch Von Allerhand außerlesnen Schoenen Lieblichen Praeludijs, Toccaten, Motetten, Canzonetten, Madrigalien vnnd Fugen ...
Straßburg, 1607
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5645
BWV 935
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 6081
aus: „Six Fugues pour les Orgues ou le Clavecin“
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5867
aus: Huit Fugues pour le Clavecin ou l'orgue
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 4385
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 232632
aus: "L’Art de toucher le clavecin" (Paris 1716)
for: Harpsichord [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 2885
BWV 926, aus dem Clavierbüchlein für W. Fr. Bach
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1569
aus: B. Schmid, Tabulatur Buch Von Allerhand außerlesnen Schoenen Lieblichen Praeludijs, Toccaten, Motetten, Canzonetten, Madrigalien vnnd Fugen ...
Straßburg, 1607
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5650
(1724)
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 4247
From "The Sufferings of the Queen of France" (No. 7/8)
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 3656
for: Harpsichord
Item no.: 385293
aus: "Recueil des differentes pièces pour clavecin"
Mannheim, 1787
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5201
aus: B. Schmid, Tabulatur Buch Von Allerhand außerlesnen Schoenen Lieblichen Praeludijs, Toccaten, Motetten, Canzonetten, Madrigalien vnnd Fugen ...
Straßburg, 1607
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5611
aus "Andanten, Gavotte, Ariaen..."
Antwerpen, 1746
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 3620
G-Dur
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 3921
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 3253
BWV 942
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 2829
B-Dur
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 3561
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 4782
aus dem Klavierbuch von Anna Maria van Eijl
Amsterdam, 1671
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 3461
BWV 937
aus „Sechs Praeludien für Anfänger auf dem Clavier“
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1712
aus: Clavierübungen – Erste Sammlung
Berlin, 1761
for: Piano [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5496
G-Dur
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 2554
aus: Clavierübungen – Erste Sammlung
Berlin, 1761
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5310
aus: B. Schmid, Tabulatur Buch Von Allerhand außerlesnen Schoenen Lieblichen Praeludijs, Toccaten, Motetten, Canzonetten, Madrigalien vnnd Fugen ...
Straßburg, 1607
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5647
from "The Double Dealer"
Z. T676
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 4109
K. 32 (Longo 423)
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 2417
aus: Symphoniae Sacrae III
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231945
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 2987
aus: B. Schmid, Tabulatur Buch Von Allerhand außerlesnen Schoenen Lieblichen Praeludijs, Toccaten, Motetten, Canzonetten, Madrigalien vnnd Fugen ...
Straßburg, 1607
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5646
BWV 924, aus dem Clavierbüchlein für W. Fr. Bach
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1704
aus: B. Schmid, Tabulatur Buch Von Allerhand außerlesnen Schoenen Lieblichen Praeludijs, Toccaten, Motetten, Canzonetten, Madrigalien vnnd Fugen ...
Straßburg, 1607
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5649
TWV 41:C2, aus: Nouvelles sonatines à clavessin ou violon
ou traversière, dont 2 sont accomodés pour la flûte à bec
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 6461
aus: Clavierübungen – Erste Sammlung
Berlin, 1761
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5494
aus dem Klavierbuch von Anna Maria van Eijl
Amsterdam, 1671
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 3475
aus: Clavierübungen – Erste Sammlung
Berlin, 1761
for: Piano [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5781
aus: B. Schmid, Tabulatur Buch Von Allerhand außerlesnen Schoenen Lieblichen Praeludijs, Toccaten, Motetten, Canzonetten, Madrigalien vnnd Fugen ...
Straßburg, 1607
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5648
aus: Clavierübungen, Erste Sammlung
Berlin 1761
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5355
© 2004–2024 by Stretta Music. Order and buy sheet music online.
Your specialist for all kinds of sheet music. Online shop, sheet music, music scores and play along for download, books, music stands, music stand lights, accessories.
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
Netherlands
Belgium
France
Luxembourg
Italy
Spain
Portugal
Denmark
Finland
Sweden
Poland
Czech Republic
Worldwide
![DL: J.P. Kirnberger: Menuett, Klavier [Cembalo]](https://www.stretta-music.com/media/images2/96/54/5496.jpg)
![DL: J.P. Kirnberger: Polonoise I, Klavier [Cembalo]](https://www.stretta-music.com/media/images2/81/57/5781.jpg)
