Harpsichord

A harpsichord is the general term for a family of European keyboard instruments, including the large instrument nowadays called a harpsichord, but also the smaller virginals, the muselar virginals and the spinet. All these instruments generate sound by plucking a string rather than striking one, as in a piano or clavichord. The harpsichord family is thought to have originated when a keyboard was affixed to the end of a psaltery, providing a mechanical means to pluck the strings.

Harpsichordists

Modern harpsichord playing can be roughly divided into three eras, beginning with the career of the influential reviver of the instrument, Wanda Landowska (1879?1959). Landowska used a harpsichord made by Pleyel of the heavy, piano-influenced type discussed above. Such instruments, though now considered inappropriate for earlier music, retain some historical importance for the works that were specifically composed for them (concertos by Falla and Poulenc, for example). An influential later group of English players using post-Pleyel instruments by Thomas Goff and the Goble family included George Malcolm and Thurston Dart.

Related Topics:
Wanda Landowska - 1879 - 1959 - Pleyel - Goble - George Malcolm - Thurston Dart

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The next generation of harpsichordists were the pioneers of modern performance on instruments built according to the authentic practices of the earlier period, following the research of such scholar-builders as Frank Hubbard and William Dowd. This generation of performers included such players as Ralph Kirkpatrick, Igor Kipnis, and Gustav Leonhardt. More recently, many other outstanding harpsichordists have appeared, including Trevor Pinnock, Kenneth Gilbert, Christopher Hogwood, Ton Koopman, Pappas Iakovos, Christophe Rousset, and Andreas Staier.

Related Topics:
Authentic practices - Frank Hubbard - William Dowd - Ralph Kirkpatrick - Igor Kipnis - Gustav Leonhardt - Trevor Pinnock - Kenneth Gilbert - Christopher Hogwood - Ton Koopman - Pappas Iakovos - Christophe Rousset - Andreas Staier

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For a list of harpsichord performers, see Harpsichordist.

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