a

[pies]

a

[pita bread]

Xenakis <3's the harpsichord

[pies]

a

[retrouvailles]

Ligeti's Hungarian Rock and Poulenc's Concerto Champêtre are two great and recognized pieces that use the harpsichord very well, so no, I wouldn't say that it is a dead instrument, compositionally speaking. And I think people still occasionally use it for baroque.

[maxreger]

Ligeti- Chamber Concerto
Ligeti- Continuum
Ligeti- Hungarian Rock

Penderecki- Partita for Harpsichord and Orchestra.

Xenakis- 4 works that I have.

A bunch more.

[chidi]

Why doesn't the harpsichord get much love nowadays? It's practically a dead instrument.

The harpsichord, oh how I despise its sound. I was forced to hear a baroque recital with a harpsichord years ago and that was my first, and definitely my last. As if the baroque pieces weren't enough torture. May the harpsichord R.I.Pieces 

-Chidi

[invictious]

Because it's for Baroque music


Kidding.
Harpsichords are very expensive. The cheapest decent ones cost as much as a grand piano.
They need lots of maintenance too, and strings constantly break.

And many other reasons, such as lack of dynamics, and the twangyness

[slobone]

Don't they have to be retuned like daily?

[soliloquy]

Don't they have to be retuned like daily?

Pretty much.  I randomly dislike most solo harpsichord music, but I do like it in orchestral settings.  Someone mentioned the partita for harpsichord and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki; one of his best and most chilling pieces.

[ahinton]

Elliott Carter: Sonata for flute, oboe, cello and harpsichord (1952)
                      Double Concerto for harpsichord, piano and 2 chamber orchestras (1961)

I don't think that Carter has written anything else for harpsichord and these two works are obviously from quite a long way back in the career of a still-living and still-working composer, but well worth checking out for all that...

Best,

Alistair

[ivoryplayer_amf]

At the University that I go too, they still over Harpsichord lessons and we have used it sometimes during our choral concerts.

The professor who offers them has two in his office.  a hand built one wtih two levels and another one with one level.  As you can see I don't know much about them.

[retrouvailles]

Someone mentioned the partita for harpsichord and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki; one of his best and most chilling pieces.

Agreed. I think the harpsichord will enjoy a great revival if more pieces like the aforementioned are either exposed more to the public or are written. Btw, I will mention one more harpsichord piece, even though it isnt a solo piece. Bolcom's Frescoes for 2 pianos, hamonium, and harpsichord (to be played by the two pianists). Do check out that piece sometime if you haven't. It's truly a unique and wonderful experience.

[theodopolis]

The harpsichord is hardly a dead instrument.
Every baroque ensemble will have one in it, and the conductor will usually lead it.
To witness the Goldberg Variations on harpsichord was one of the most profound musical experiences of my life.

Most people who criticise the 'twanginess' of sound have probably never sat at a good harpsichord and played it for an hour or so. The sound is not nearly as in your face as on recording.

The fact that harpsichords go out of tune isn't particularly a problem as a performer as you tune the instrument yourself - one of the most satisfying aspects of harpsichord playing.

May I also venture to say that pianists are about thirty years behind organists and harpsichordists in the area of Bach performance. Bach pianism is one of the most lifeless areas of the piano repertoire and pianists are currently about the 1960's era of Helmut Walcha and Karl Richter in their approach to Bach.
It takes someone like Wolfgang Rubsam, at the forefront of Bach organ performance, to really shake the foundations of Bach pianism with his NAXOS recordings.

Listen to Ton Koopman, Masaaki Suzuki and Christopher Hogwood to get an idea of how to bring the harpsichord to life, instead of dismissing it in the absence of the "Hit harder, make go louder" option.

Theodopolis

[thalbergmad]

Listen to Ton Koopman

Oh yes, i was dismissive of the Harpsichord until i purchased one of his Bach DVD's. He completely changed my mind.

Now i wonder why people play Bach on pianos and giant 5 manual organs.

Saying that, if we could go back in time and present Bach with a brand new Steinway or we could let him play on the organ at St Sulpice, i wonder if we could convince him to return to the instruments that he knew.

Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I recently played (what I am informed is a very good) harpsichord at a wedding. I had never played a harpsichord before and was privately dreading the experience. In reality, I really enjoyed it and had a great deal of fun when "warming up" and trying it out the day before.

[thalbergmad]

I recently played (what I am informed is a very good) harpsichord at a wedding. I had never played a harpsichord before and was privately dreading the experience. In reality, I really enjoyed it and had a great deal of fun when "warming up" and trying it out the day before.

Did you try out "moses" on it?

Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Did you try out "moses" on it?

Thal

Hehe. No, but I did the middle register octaves from the Cziffra Bumblebee while no-one was looking  Shhhh. Mostly I was very restrained however.. I ended up having to improvise a harpsichord suite at one point due to a delay in the ceremony (great fun actually). Perhaps you now know why I requested a Vivaldi transcription a few weeks back

[thalbergmad]

Hehe. No, but I did the middle register octaves from the Cziffra Bumblebee while no-one was looking 

I am amazed it did not collapse.

I came across this site a little while back

https://www.e-m-s.com/front/emsframes.html

You can actually buy a harpsichord kit and assemble it yourself. A sort of IKEA for early instrument lovers. It is not something i would care to try myself.

I do however have a strange urge to buy myself a lute and wander around Europe singing ballades outside castles. I formed this idea after watching Ivanhoe.

Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I am amazed it did not collapse.

I was very delicate, odd though that might sound in such a context. I have a friend who plays both harpsichord and piano (better than I do) and she assures me that studying the harpsichord after she graduated from her piano degree was beneficial to her piano playing. Even after an hour on it, I can understand her point of view. And I must say that from my limited experience, I'd rather play baroque music on a harpsichord than a piano.

[indutrial]

I strongly second the importance of modern harpsichord masterpieces like Carter's and I will add that Henryk Gorecki and Edison Denisov (two of my favorite 20th century composers) wrote some really great stuff for the instrument. Denisov's Chamber Music for violas, harpsichord, and strings is an especially nice piece of work.