"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.
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 421425
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 421418
Concerto grosso A Minor
for: Violin, harpsichord, string orchestra
Single part Viola
Item no.: 729360
aus: "6 Pariser Quartette"
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 1642681
aus: Die Elenden sollen essen
Sinfonia aus dem zweiten Teil der Kantate mit Choralbearbeitung Choral in Tromba
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231589
Wq 18
Einzelstimme Vl. 1
for: Harpsichord, strings
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 424306
aus: Psalmen Davids
for: Basso continuo
Instrumental part 4 (Choir 2)
Item no.: 1160703
aus: Psalmen Davids
for: Basso continuo
Instrumental part 2 (Choir 2)
Item no.: 1160698
aus: Psalmen Davids
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231735
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 229763
Missa aulica
for: Basso continuo
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 366401
Kommunionskantate
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 424052
Frühfassung von SWV 386
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 232068
aus: Zwölf geistliche Gesänge
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231979
BuxWV 104
Einzelstimme B.c.
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 234412
Oboen-Konzert
for: Harpsichord
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 421593
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 421409
"La Cetra"
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 421653
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 420090
a-Moll BR-WFB C 14
for: Harpsichord, strings
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 648595
Oster-Dialog aus: Musikalische Andachten
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 229737
Cembalo (Klavier), Streicher und Basso continuo
for: Harpsichord, strings, basso continuo
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 648600
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 641927
for: 4 melodic instruments [keyboard instrument]
Single part tenor
Item no.: 1545428
aus: Symphoniae Sacrae III
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231945
aus: Symphoniae Sacrae III
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231909
Kantate zum 4. Advent
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 234634
für Streicher und Basso continuo
for: Harpsichord
Single part (Harpsichord solo)
Item no.: 311618
für Streicher und Basso continuo
for: Harpsichord
Single part(n)
Item no.: 469470
aus: Kleine geistliche Konzerte I
mit singbarer englischer Übersetzung
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231800
Oboen-Konzert
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 421587
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 421296
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 642063
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 234292
Es ist genug
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 232226
for: 2 horns, string orchestra, harpsichord
Viola 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 447160
for: Harpsichord [piano], chamber orchestra
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 1355232
for: Harpsichord [piano], chamber orchestra
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 1355230
a-Moll BR-WFB C 14
for: Harpsichord, strings
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 648594
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 421428
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Single part(n)
Item no.: 421427
3me Production - Suite
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 421391
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 421235
Wq 18
Einzelstimme Vc. (Kb.)
for: Harpsichord, strings
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 424309
Stuttgarter Schütz-Edition Volume 12
29 motets for 5 to 7 voices and basso continuo (SWV 369–397)
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 686813
aus: Symphoniae Sacrae III
for: Basso continuo
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 231953
aus: Symphoniae Sacrae III
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231931
aus: Psalmen Davids
for: Basso continuo
Instrumental part 3 (Choir 2)
Item no.: 1160697
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