The recordings of E. Power Biggs on a John Challis pedal harpsichord, and of Helma Elsner on a "regal-sounding Neupert Harpsichord," are quite different from what is considered "authentic" today, yet both are eminently enjoyable, as are the historic recordings of the great Wanda Landowska, whose groundbreaking efforts laid the foundation for the harpsichord revival which began in the 1960's. Just because a recording does or does not conform to what are currently considered "historically correct" DOES NOT mean that they have no artistic merit! They are simply different. Yet both extremes of performance practice can be just as enjoyable! My philosophy is to listen to many different styles, and THEN settle on those that I personally find to be the most enjoyable. Perhaps the best way of putting it is to quote the great Wagnerian soprano Helen Traubel, who, upon leaving the Metropolitan Opera, declared, "To assert that art can be found in an opera house but not in a night club is rank snobbery!" Let that be a lesson for all of us!
In Zuckerman's book, The Modern Harpsichord, he calls this kind of harpsichord a "plucked piano" as it is constructed like a modern piano but the strings are plucked like a harpsichord and that is where the similarity with an historic harpsichord ends. When I hear this I think of the theme from the English series "Secret Angent" or the "Addams Family". They certainly have their own sound. You can't miss it.
LivingPianosVideos It's rather awesome. All the Keyboard Music Bach wrote works on Piano but on the Harpsichord it sounds very original cause it produces the sound bach heard.
A great presentation. I own a single manual on which my late mother played chamber music with others & I have the vynil records! The double manual is if course a much more versatile instrument & you play it beautifully!
Gives a very rich sound. On the other hand, without the piano, the music of Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt and later composers would not have been possible. Their music exploit the dynamic range of the piano to the fullest. The 1 piece of music: Lute Suite #1 BWV996 by Bach (assumed to be written for a lute) ended up today in Classical guitar repertoires. After watching a demo of the Wittmayer harpsichord, the piece could have been played on a harpsichord with a lute sound (with the proper switch is engaged).
Yes, it's hardly a historically accurate instrument but this is a worthwhile video as Robert makes a good point of introducing the harpsichord to a wider audience and even plays a little of the Italian Concerto very well. To me this instrument sounds good - a little "crashy" at full registration but quite musical.
Thanks for this great presentation on the pedal harpsichord. If I may ask, did harpsichords such as this (meaning with all of these pedals, or, at least, an equal variety of hand levers and all of this resulting variety of sound) exist "back in the day"? Or is this more of a 20th Century contrivance inspired by Landowska?
@@Juscz The pedals are largely a modern contrivance, but in the mid/late 18th century (particularly in France) there were harpsichords with knee operated levers which had pretty much the same function. In terms of variety of sound there were rare examples in 18th century Germany that actually had more registrations and even keyboards than this Wittmayer (yes, up to three keyboards!). They didn't have pedals or knee levers however so registration changes were very limited.
I’m enjoying the video and the instrument. Sounds like a modern departure from harpsichords I’ve heard. Surprised by the negative comments - listen to Robert’s genuine humility about his knowledge of harpsichords at the close of the video. I am finding all of his videos enjoyable and personable. If all sales pitches on earth were like these - positive but honest - the world would doubtless be a better place. Critique - I think that Bach would have sounded best with fewer stops, but it was unique to hear it “cranked.”
It almost kind of sounds like a guitar, especially with the pedal on the bottom keyboard that doubles up the tones. I never realized how similar a harpsichord can be to a guitar, before.
after hearing this amazing instrument, i wonder what Bach's Little Prelude in D Major BWV 925 would sound like, especially with the wide and varying registration it has
A sweeping statement. Not Wanda Landowska single-handedly. There was Mrs Violet Gordon Woodhouse who championed not only the harpsichord, but other venerable keyboard instruments just as actively in the 1920s. Mme Landowska was the better known and most assertive, but Mrs Woodhouse's playing was preferred by some, including George Bernard Shaw.
I played harpsichord for a chamber orchestra in my college. We had a single-keyboard, modest sort of instrument. When we went to do a couple of television broadcasts, the studio had an immense, pedal-rich, very elaborate harpsichord, a Pleyel I think it was. I was at frist utterly bewildered at how to cope with all of these options and was pretty terrified at playing it so soon after meeting it for the first time. Fortunately, I figured out as much as I needed from the instrument for the concert. The instrument was awesome to play and the whole experience very exhilarating.
If you listen to Wanda Landowska, she sounds like no other harpsichord player I've ever heard. Unfortunately, because she is of such an early time, the recordings are bad quality, but something that interested me about her is the absolute mastery she had over the particular harpsichord she was playing, a Pleyel (I think) with pedals similar to those on the one presented in this video (except that the Pleyel looks more like a piano). She produced beautiful effects using her registration changes that I don't think she could have achieved on a more "authentic" harpsichord with hand levers.
Great presentation. Interestingly, the full tone of all pedals down sounds like Landowska's Pleyel, which some have disparaged as inauthentic - I think this shows that the Pleyel had its merits in producing a period sound.
Am I imagining something, or do I hear something a little different in the tuning? A little deliberate mistuning to make it sound chime-like? Not exactly like an accordion tuned "wet", but the same philosophy. Maybe a bit more like what they do to disk music boxes.
He has combined the 4 foot register with the 8 foot register. The 4 foot register is two and one octave higher than the 8 foot register. So obviously it has a brighter, more energetic sound. The Italian concerto is, of course, supposed to sound like a concerto, that is to say, an orchestra with a solo instrument, like a violin, or a keyboard. He played the concerto part, but the next phrases would have sounded more like an orchestra accompanying a solo part. The reference to 4 foot or 8 foot and in very rare cases, a 16 foot is derived from organ terminology. The typical 8 foot pipes on an organ will produce the familiar pitches like A=440. The 4 foot pipes will produce pitches one octave higher. It does sound like wet tuning somewhat, but wet tuning is in fact out of tune. You will one pipe tuned to A=440, and another pipe tuned to A=445. That slight difference, when you play them together, creates a clash, and thus a brighter sound in your ear. But if you go too far, then the instrument just sounds wildly out of tune.
What a pity that harpsichords of this type are no longer made (at least not by most makers), for even though they depart in important respects from historical patterns, they possess a richness and aesthetic value all their own. What is it about us moderns that we cannot accommodate a variety of instrumental designs, old and new, as part of our palette of musical resources? Pedals?--horrors! But who says that the player is obliged to misuse them? Like every other musical resource, pedals may used to good or bad effect. And I see no advantage in trammelling the harpsichordist by forcing him to remove his hands from the keyboard when he wishes to change registers, just because that was done in the old days. (And what of the machine stops and pedals of late 18th-century harpsichords? Was Haydn amiss in employing such instruments?) Truly, we ought to be able to enjoy the mid-20th-century-style harpsichords, along with the more "historically authentic" models that are now in fashion. And the same goes for woodwind designs, and flute designs in particular. --Daniel Waitzman
Ironically, pedals for Harpsichords appeared before these being adopted to Pianos. Pedals for the taking on registers on and off for the Harpsichord (machine stops and Venetian Swell mechanism) were invented in England and used post 1760. Pascal Taskin had knee levers in France about the same time (and a stop to lift one registers jacks so the strings would sound sympathetically), Louis Armand Couperin wrote works for this form of harpsichord. Pedals had appeared earlier than this time before the introduction of the piano; despite the announcement as curiosities were summarily ignored. The Knee levels/Pedals can be view as either an adaptation to the changes in music or to compete with the piano. Generally, music didn't require quick registration change (Italian from the invention to the end of the 18th century were single manual as were Iberian instruments) The earliest Flemish Two Manual Instruments were used for transposition (the keyboards weren't aligned) rather than for contrast or tone changes. However, two manual instruments were built in France and elsewhere, older Flemish 2 manual were modified and enlarged. The piano appeared in Italy in 1700 and co-existed with the fortepiano both without pedals. (Cristofori's fortepiano one had to move the keyboard physically for the una corda function.) Hand stops for the dampers were incorporated into Gottfried Silbermann's piano in J S Bach's lifetime. Some Square Pianos in England still had hand stops (instead of pedals) as late as 1790. Viennese Pianos had knee levers instead of pedals (and somewhat awkward to use). The rapid shift of registration with pedals was popularized by Wanda Landowska style of playing on her Pleyel Harpsichord, perpetuated by her students or those influenced by her students. By Comparison, Baroque organs did not have the means to change registrations quickly (short of an assistant pulling out or canceling stops). Wasn't thought necessary with the music of the time.
Nothing like what the composers themselves heard. Dynamics, for instance, are built into the writing - they do not need someone who knows better than Bach, Byrd, Gibbons, Rameau etc mucking about with pedals and register-changing every half-bar!
Why the harpsichords sounds when you lift off your finger of the key? I mean, it sounds like a silent plugged string when you separate the fingers of the harpsichord. I would really like to know it! Thank you very much and have a great day!!
Did anyone else notice in the second movement of the Italian concerto the same motif that was used in an earlier piece of music by Bach. The Toccata and Fugue.
Sorry man buth the ansister of the piano is the clavichord not the harpsichord.you are wrong very much.Buth you are correct that this works are written for this instrument and its normal to sound gut on him.
can harpsichords and other key instruments from the baroque, change their dynamics? I mean, I know the volume in these instruments increases as touch more keys, but is it possible to change the dynamic of a single note?
Please write down how each string sounds separately. Open these .wav files for free access. To home any person on the computer to play on the MIDI keyboard with such an excellent sound. To record each string separately for 10 seconds will result in approximately 10 minutes of personal time spent. I take care of the rest of the sound processing. You just need to find a good microphone and a computer for recording and that's it. Send me a file in which the sound of individual strings I cut into separate files and process the equalizers and as a result a ready-made digital musical instrument.
É um cravo moderno, que não respeita as necessidades da música barroca, e foi projetado para tocar música barroca. Por isso tanta gente revoltada e contra este Cravo.
Does anyone know if Bach had a harpsichord with a 16 ft stop? All thing's said, I bet it stays in tune longer than a day. To me, most of the instrument's of this era sound about the same, skeletons copulating on a tin roof. Who said that? Stokowski? I read that Landowska had (as it actually said it the book) real harpsichord's. HA. Funny remark but I wonder how her recordings of WTC would sound on Dowd. Does anyone know if Bach had a harpsichord with a 16 ft stop?
That awful period when 20th century makers thought they knew better than the original makers. Thank God we've returned to playing on originals (or copies thereof), that are actually produce MORE volume than these plucked pianos, without the hideous noise of the action... Nice museum piece though!
Nothing like the internet to bring arrogant no-nothings like you out of the woodwork. And where is your superior explanation that gives you the right to criticize this man?
Sorry, but this is a 'harpsichord' trying to be a piano and distorting the whole timbre. A Couchet, Blanchet, Taskin, Ruckers or Kirckmann sound like a harpsichord is supposed to do. They were never designed to have so many 'gadgets' and a simple inexpensive single-manual Italian harpsichord will sound much better than this. I thought the Landowska fetish for heavy unauthentic instruments had long gone. It appears not!
Well it makes sense - Bach knew the instruments he would write for and thus to use a piano in the stead of a harpsichord is to be arrogant in the extreme! Bach on the piano sounds really thick and bad!
I disagree - I don't think that is invariably the case. In complex contrapuntal music, the piano can be better at bringing out the individual lines, which, on the harpsichord, can sometimes be lost in the jangle. I think that while the harpsichord is the better instrument for Bach in mosr cases, in others the piano is superior.
You might like this French model two manual three rank, harpsichord I own better than the one I was selling: livingpianos.com/robert-estrin-dresses-up-scarlatti-on-the-harpsichord/
It's not horrible, you just don't personally like it. That's OK, keep trashing it, though. Just means these things will keep going cheap, so I can buy one. :)
It has nothing in common with the instrument that JSB would have played (apart from plucked strings). It's an early 20th century re-invention of the instrument. Listen to the real thing, and you're in a different sound-world entirely...
If you are going to play the music 'authentically', why do you not play it on instruments that existed rather than this 20th century monstrosity? My guess is you do not know the performance practices from the period. And, as long as you are dressed, it really does not matter what you are dressed in. I love the music played on the real original or close copies, but, other than getting the sound right, we can't really do these things 'authentically' since we do are not in the same time period, living with all the social restrictions and experiences that the people in the 1700's were. This was new to them and they never were exposed to later music to color their thoughts.
What a terrible instrument! They never made them like that in the old days. They ate mostly unused now days. I have a 6 ft long Italian single that would blow that Turkey into the weeds!
God! What a beautiful instrument!
Hear the ones that Gustav Leonhardt played (They are gorgeous)
What a beautiful instrument!
What an amazing instrument!!! Italian concerto 2nd movement sounded magical on this instrument
Wow! How interesting! Thank you so much for demonstrating!
The recordings of E. Power Biggs on a John Challis pedal harpsichord, and of Helma Elsner on a "regal-sounding Neupert Harpsichord," are quite different from what is considered "authentic" today, yet both are eminently enjoyable, as are the historic recordings of the great Wanda Landowska, whose groundbreaking efforts laid the foundation for the harpsichord revival which began in the 1960's. Just because a recording does or does not conform to what are currently considered "historically correct" DOES NOT mean that they have no artistic merit! They are simply different. Yet both extremes of performance practice can be just as enjoyable! My philosophy is to listen to many different styles, and THEN settle on those that I personally find to be the most enjoyable. Perhaps the best way of putting it is to quote the great Wagnerian soprano Helen Traubel, who, upon leaving the Metropolitan Opera, declared, "To assert that art can be found in an opera house but not in a night club is rank snobbery!" Let that be a lesson for all of us!
In Zuckerman's book, The Modern Harpsichord, he calls this kind of harpsichord a "plucked piano" as it is constructed like a modern piano but the strings are plucked like a harpsichord and that is where the similarity with an historic harpsichord ends. When I hear this I think of the theme from the English series "Secret Angent" or the "Addams Family". They certainly have their own sound. You can't miss it.
The sound with all of the stops is breathtaking
The keys look delicious!
I don't know why I just want to eat them
+SMOOTHCR1M jajajajajajaja in deed, looks like a very expensive belgian chocolate box
+Ksavery Dom yeah that's it! You know the seashell one?
kitkats
@@ripinpepperonies9754 Sorry to tell ya but this particular one has reversed colored keys.
Actually they are sugar sticks.
LivingPianosVideos It's rather awesome. All the Keyboard Music Bach wrote works on Piano but on the Harpsichord it sounds very original cause it produces the sound bach heard.
I like this very informative video. as I am an organ student. just started 19 years.
A great presentation. I own a single manual on which my late mother played chamber music with others & I have the vynil records! The double manual is if course a much more versatile instrument & you play it beautifully!
Magnificent sound!
Delightful! 🎹
Gives a very rich sound. On the other hand, without the piano, the music of Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt and later composers would not have been possible. Their music exploit the dynamic range of the piano to the fullest.
The 1 piece of music: Lute Suite #1 BWV996 by Bach (assumed to be written for a lute) ended up today in Classical guitar repertoires. After watching a demo of the Wittmayer harpsichord, the piece could have been played on a harpsichord with a lute sound (with the proper switch is engaged).
This video is better than The Last Jedi...
Never seen this type of pedal board before. Quite rare !
Wunderschönes Instrument. Sehr beeindruckend.
Yes, it's hardly a historically accurate instrument but this is a worthwhile video as Robert makes a good point of introducing the harpsichord to a wider audience and even plays a little of the Italian Concerto very well. To me this instrument sounds good - a little "crashy" at full registration but quite musical.
Thanks for this great presentation on the pedal harpsichord. If I may ask, did harpsichords such as this (meaning with all of these pedals, or, at least, an equal variety of hand levers and all of this resulting variety of sound) exist "back in the day"? Or is this more of a 20th Century contrivance inspired by Landowska?
John Uscian The pedals are a more modern invention.
I rather suspected that. Thanks for confirming. Indeed, my own harpsichord has only hand levers.
@@Juscz The pedals are largely a modern contrivance, but in the mid/late 18th century (particularly in France) there were harpsichords with knee operated levers which had pretty much the same function.
In terms of variety of sound there were rare examples in 18th century Germany that actually had more registrations and even keyboards than this Wittmayer (yes, up to three keyboards!). They didn't have pedals or knee levers however so registration changes were very limited.
I’m enjoying the video and the instrument. Sounds like a modern departure from harpsichords I’ve heard. Surprised by the negative comments - listen to Robert’s genuine humility about his knowledge of harpsichords at the close of the video. I am finding all of his videos enjoyable and personable. If all sales pitches on earth were like these - positive but honest - the world would doubtless be a better place.
Critique - I think that Bach would have sounded best with fewer stops, but it was unique to hear it “cranked.”
It almost kind of sounds like a guitar, especially with the pedal on the bottom keyboard that doubles up the tones. I never realized how similar a harpsichord can be to a guitar, before.
after hearing this amazing instrument, i wonder what Bach's Little Prelude in D Major BWV 925 would sound like, especially with the wide and varying registration it has
A sweeping statement. Not Wanda Landowska single-handedly. There was Mrs Violet Gordon Woodhouse who championed not only the harpsichord, but other venerable keyboard instruments just as actively in the 1920s. Mme Landowska was the better known and most assertive, but Mrs Woodhouse's playing was preferred by some, including George Bernard Shaw.
I played harpsichord for a chamber orchestra in my college. We had a single-keyboard, modest sort of instrument. When we went to do a couple of television broadcasts, the studio had an immense, pedal-rich, very elaborate harpsichord, a Pleyel I think it was. I was at frist utterly bewildered at how to cope with all of these options and was pretty terrified at playing it so soon after meeting it for the first time. Fortunately, I figured out as much as I needed from the instrument for the concert. The instrument was awesome to play and the whole experience very exhilarating.
A Magnificent sound!
If you listen to Wanda Landowska, she sounds like no other harpsichord player I've ever heard. Unfortunately, because she is of such an early time, the recordings are bad quality, but something that interested me about her is the absolute mastery she had over the particular harpsichord she was playing, a Pleyel (I think) with pedals similar to those on the one presented in this video (except that the Pleyel looks more like a piano). She produced beautiful effects using her registration changes that I don't think she could have achieved on a more "authentic" harpsichord with hand levers.
Is this what they mean by "pulling out all the stops?" :D
+Lord Sandwich
Yeah actually, but with respect to organs and not harpsichords.
Aeghamedic
I thought it might be organs actually! :D Thanks! :)
@@LordSandwichII Sandwich is correct.
4 years later and I am having the same revelation lol
@@Aeghamedic Harpsichords have stops too.
Wow! Amazing! Thank you so much for that wonderful video!
The harpsichord is a cool instrument.
Great presentation. Interestingly, the full tone of all pedals down sounds like Landowska's Pleyel, which some have disparaged as inauthentic - I think this shows that the Pleyel had its merits in producing a period sound.
Marvelous instrument, I'm just not a fan of octave doublings.
Looks like it's a lot of fun to play.
Keyboards of the 15th century
Huh.. so there`s a distortion pedal as well somewhere
A harpsichord might sound cool with a Wow Wah pedal!
What an awesome sound ! I wonder what it would done with the WTC C minor prelude of Bach
Am I imagining something, or do I hear something a little different in the tuning? A little deliberate mistuning to make it sound chime-like? Not exactly like an accordion tuned "wet", but the same philosophy. Maybe a bit more like what they do to disk music boxes.
He has combined the 4 foot register with the 8 foot register. The 4 foot register is two and one octave higher than the 8 foot register. So obviously it has a brighter, more energetic sound. The Italian concerto is, of course, supposed to sound like a concerto, that is to say, an orchestra with a solo instrument, like a violin, or a keyboard. He played the concerto part, but the next phrases would have sounded more like an orchestra accompanying a solo part.
The reference to 4 foot or 8 foot and in very rare cases, a 16 foot is derived from organ terminology. The typical 8 foot pipes on an organ will produce the familiar pitches like A=440. The 4 foot pipes will produce pitches one octave higher.
It does sound like wet tuning somewhat, but wet tuning is in fact out of tune. You will one pipe tuned to A=440, and another pipe tuned to A=445. That slight difference, when you play them together, creates a clash, and thus a brighter sound in your ear. But if you go too far, then the instrument just sounds wildly out of tune.
Bkitcerto = Bach's Italian Concerto. Nice accent, Sir.
What a pity that harpsichords of this type are no longer made (at least not by most makers), for even though they depart in important respects from historical patterns, they possess a richness and aesthetic value all their own. What is it about us moderns that we cannot accommodate a variety of instrumental designs, old and new, as part of our palette of musical resources? Pedals?--horrors! But who says that the player is obliged to misuse them? Like every other musical resource, pedals may used to good or bad effect. And I see no advantage in trammelling the harpsichordist by forcing him to remove his hands from the keyboard when he wishes to change registers, just because that was done in the old days. (And what of the machine stops and pedals of late 18th-century harpsichords? Was Haydn amiss in employing such instruments?) Truly, we ought to be able to enjoy the mid-20th-century-style harpsichords, along with the more "historically authentic" models that are now in fashion. And the same goes for woodwind designs, and flute designs in particular. --Daniel Waitzman
Ironically, pedals for Harpsichords appeared before these being adopted to Pianos. Pedals for the taking on registers on and off for the Harpsichord (machine stops and Venetian Swell mechanism) were invented in England and used post 1760. Pascal Taskin had knee levers in France about the same time (and a stop to lift one registers jacks so the strings would sound sympathetically), Louis Armand Couperin wrote works for this form of harpsichord. Pedals had appeared earlier than this time before the introduction of the piano; despite the announcement as curiosities were summarily ignored.
The Knee levels/Pedals can be view as either an adaptation to the changes in music or to compete with the piano.
Generally, music didn't require quick registration change (Italian from the invention to the end of the 18th century were single manual as were Iberian instruments) The earliest Flemish Two Manual Instruments were used for transposition (the keyboards weren't aligned) rather than for contrast or tone changes. However, two manual instruments were built in France and elsewhere, older Flemish 2 manual were modified and enlarged. The piano appeared in Italy in 1700 and co-existed with the fortepiano both without pedals. (Cristofori's fortepiano one had to move the keyboard physically for the una corda function.)
Hand stops for the dampers were incorporated into Gottfried Silbermann's piano in J S Bach's lifetime. Some Square Pianos in England still had hand stops (instead of pedals) as late as 1790. Viennese Pianos had knee levers instead of pedals (and somewhat awkward to use).
The rapid shift of registration with pedals was popularized by Wanda Landowska style of playing on her Pleyel Harpsichord, perpetuated by her students or those influenced by her students.
By Comparison, Baroque organs did not have the means to change registrations quickly (short of an assistant pulling out or canceling stops). Wasn't thought necessary with the music of the time.
well hell sir. We have a friend in common, Mrs Fischer. I actually based a character in one of my books on you. I forget what name I gave him.
that harpsichord is lit
This harpsichord has the most customizable sound I've seen and heard...
wait until you see a 100 rank pipe organ.
much more interesting then these "historical reproductions". This truly should be the standard harpsichord nowadays.
Nothing like what the composers themselves heard. Dynamics, for instance, are built into the writing - they do not need someone who knows better than Bach, Byrd, Gibbons, Rameau etc mucking about with pedals and register-changing every half-bar!
Why the harpsichords sounds when you lift off your finger of the key? I mean, it sounds like a silent plugged string when you separate the fingers of the harpsichord. I would really like to know it!
Thank you very much and have a great day!!
This Wittmayer sounds surprisingly good. Still prefer the old school way of building harpsichords like Dowd & Hubbard.
Did anyone else notice in the second movement of the Italian concerto the same motif that was used in an earlier piece of music by Bach. The Toccata and Fugue.
Sorry man buth the ansister of the piano is the clavichord not the harpsichord.you are wrong very much.Buth you are correct that this works are written for this instrument and its normal to sound gut on him.
this guy looks like Mark Hamill and Tom Bergeron's secret love child.
More like Mark Hamill and John Denver's love child.
Peter pettigrew from Harry potter
can harpsichords and other key instruments from the baroque, change their dynamics? I mean, I know the volume in these instruments increases as touch more keys, but is it possible to change the dynamic of a single note?
Daniel Sandoval not really. That is where the clavichord shines, and that one is the actual ancestor to the piano forte.
Under what rock did they find this guy?!?
That intro was somewhat comedic on the harpsichord...
Why are the keys BLACK?
Harpsichords were typically made with the inverse colours of a typical piano.
Why are piano keys white? That’s the question you should be asking Kento
Simple reason, ivory was more expensive that the ebony hardwoods. Bigger key, cheaper material.
Does anyone one how I can get one of these keyboard with the presets in Logic Pro X? Thanks!
What's the movement at 7:02? I did not understand what the man said.
Thanks so much :3
Please write down how each string sounds separately. Open these .wav files for free access. To home any person on the computer to play on the MIDI keyboard with such an excellent sound. To record each string separately for 10 seconds will result in approximately 10 minutes of personal time spent. I take care of the rest of the sound processing. You just need to find a good microphone and a computer for recording and that's it. Send me a file in which the sound of individual strings I cut into separate files and process the equalizers and as a result a ready-made digital musical instrument.
And what about the niceties of temperaments - essential when playing earlier keyboard music?
This looks like a merger of a piano and a harpsichord.
I also play bethovens 5th symphony second movement. it is a beautifull waltz.
Si bien prefiero el sonido de los "clavecines verdaderos", este instrumento en particular tiene un sonido hermoso.
É um cravo moderno, que não respeita as necessidades da música barroca, e foi projetado para tocar música barroca. Por isso tanta gente revoltada e contra este Cravo.
Si, este instrumento es el ideal para tocar el concierto de De Falla por ejemplo, no Bach.
ruclips.net/video/tyXjX-IOP6s/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/HZMN_rmBA34/видео.html
É um cravo barroco...
Does anyone know if Bach had a harpsichord with a 16 ft stop?
All thing's said, I bet it stays in tune longer than a day. To me, most of the instrument's of this era sound about the same, skeletons copulating on a tin roof. Who said that? Stokowski?
I read that Landowska had (as it actually said it the book) real harpsichord's. HA. Funny remark but I wonder how her recordings of WTC would sound on Dowd.
Does anyone know if Bach had a harpsichord with a 16 ft stop?
That awful period when 20th century makers thought they knew better than the original makers. Thank God we've returned to playing on originals (or copies thereof), that are actually produce MORE volume than these plucked pianos, without the hideous noise of the action... Nice museum piece though!
my favorite song is from bach. a lovers concerto.
you know even less about harpsichords than your pianos amazing !
Nothing like the internet to bring arrogant no-nothings like you out of the woodwork. And where is your superior explanation that gives you the right to criticize this man?
So you are a MUSICAL troll? Use your heart and mind together or you are not much of a musician yourself.
Sorry, but this is a 'harpsichord' trying to be a piano and distorting the whole timbre. A Couchet, Blanchet, Taskin, Ruckers or Kirckmann sound like a harpsichord is supposed to do. They were never designed to have so many 'gadgets' and a simple inexpensive single-manual Italian harpsichord will sound much better than this. I thought the Landowska fetish for heavy unauthentic instruments had long gone. It appears not!
The instrument is good in itself,however, compared to a "classical" harpsichord it sounds quite shrill and dis-harmonic.
The instrument suits his presentation. It's not a compliment.
What an ugly harpsichord!
i hate those pedal stops, they shouldn't be there.
Well it makes sense - Bach knew the instruments he would write for and thus to use a piano in the stead of a harpsichord is to be arrogant in the extreme! Bach on the piano sounds really thick and bad!
Bach had a piano in his later life
The early 'fortepiano' of his day was very unlike a modern piano
I disagree - I don't think that is invariably the case. In complex contrapuntal music, the piano can be better at bringing out the individual lines, which, on the harpsichord, can sometimes be lost in the jangle. I think that while the harpsichord is the better instrument for Bach in mosr cases, in others the piano is superior.
jmcwd Not true, he didn't own one. He played on one just once.
No it doesn't. Yes it does. No it doesn't. Yes it does. Is this a 5 minute argument or do you want the full half hour? (John Cleese.)
He plays well but not like Wanda on her greatest days! Not a great instrument sound either!
You might like this French model two manual three rank, harpsichord I own better than the one I was selling: livingpianos.com/robert-estrin-dresses-up-scarlatti-on-the-harpsichord/
They high price is a JOKE
This instrument has nothing to do with a harpsichord.
Calling this a "harpsichord" is an insult for a real one.
Horrible sound - reminds me of Wanda Landowska's "harpsichord".
It's not horrible, you just don't personally like it.
That's OK, keep trashing it, though. Just means these things will keep going cheap, so I can buy one. :)
It has nothing in common with the instrument that JSB would have played (apart from plucked strings). It's an early 20th century re-invention of the instrument. Listen to the real thing, and you're in a different sound-world entirely...
If you are going to play the music 'authentically', why do you not play it on instruments that existed rather than this 20th century monstrosity? My guess is you do not know the performance practices from the period. And, as long as you are dressed, it really does not matter what you are dressed in.
I love the music played on the real original or close copies, but, other than getting the sound right, we can't really do these things 'authentically' since we do are not in the same time period, living with all the social restrictions and experiences that the people in the 1700's were. This was new to them and they never were exposed to later music to color their thoughts.
What a terrible instrument! They never made them like that in the old days. They ate mostly unused now days. I have a 6 ft long Italian single that would blow that Turkey into the weeds!
My personal harpsichord is a 3 rank, 2 manual, French model which has a gorgeous tone!
Great presentation, truly dreadful sounding instrument, however!
Dreadful sound