"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.
Kantate zum 4. Advent
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 234634
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
aus: Kleine geistliche Konzerte I
mit singbarer englischer Übersetzung
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231800
Es ist genug
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 232226
für Streicher und Basso continuo
for: Harpsichord
Single part(n)
Item no.: 469470
für Streicher und Basso continuo
for: Harpsichord
Single part (Harpsichord solo)
Item no.: 311618
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 421424
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 421257
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: Psalmen Davids
for: Basso continuo
Instrumental part 3 (Choir 2)
Item no.: 1160697
Deutsches Nunc dimittis II
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 232029
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
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 230098
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 230083
Wq 18
Einzelstimme Vc. (Kb.)
for: Harpsichord, strings
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 424309
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 229757
Kantate zum Ratswechsel
for: Basso continuo
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 642047
for: Harpsichord, piano, orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 497270
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 329427
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 421236
Oboen-Konzert
for: Harpsichord
Single part
Item no.: 421582
Oboen-Konzert B-Dur
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 421552
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 421430
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 421303
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 421265
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 229803
aus: Psalmen Davids
for: Basso continuo
Instrumental part 1 (Choir 1)
Item no.: 1160701
aus: Psalmen Davids
for: Basso continuo
Instrumental part 4 (Choir 1)
Item no.: 1160700
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 421459
aus: Des Königs und Propheten Davids 119. Psalm in 11 Stücken (Opus ultimum)
Schluß der Motette "Die Fürsten verfolgen mich ohne Ursach" No. 11 des "Opus ultimum"
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 232149
Die Flucht nach Ägypten. Aus: Symphoniae Sacrae III (1650)
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231895
Blessed are all those who fear God
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231725
ars instrumentalis 003
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 210150
a-Moll BR-WFB C 14
for: Harpsichord, strings
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 648596
TVWV 7:2
Einzelstimme B.c.
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 234557
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 633565
Praeclassica
for: Harpsichord
Single part(n)
Item no.: 421328
Concerto grosso D-Dur
for: Harpsichord
Single part Harpsichord
Item no.: 421716
a-Moll BR-WFB C 14
for: Harpsichord, strings
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 644521
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 229994
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 230522
Madrigale spirituale
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 232065
Geistliches Konzert
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 232033
aus: Symphoniae Sacrae III
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231975
Der zwölfjährige Jesus im Tempel. Aus: Symphoniae Sacrae III (1650)
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231883
aus: Symphoniae sacrae III
mit singbarer englischer Übersetzung
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 231864
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